An insurance let-down has not stopped a Sunshine Coast church from pushing ahead with plans to rebuild following a fire.
Lifepointe Baptist Church at Buderim has lodged an application to rebuild its Wises Road centre.
The church’s main auditorium, offices, foyer, hall and adjoining improvements were destroyed by a January 2023 fire caused by a faulty illuminated exit light.
The church has since continued to run out of demountables, with its Sunday services held at the nearby Immanuel Lutheran College sports stadium and its annual Christmas lights festival last year held on the old auditorium slab.
Plans to rebuild were threatened when the church’s insurance company fell into financial difficulty while the claim was in progress.
Senior Pastor Phil Greenbury said Lifepointe accepted a part-payment days before the company folded and was seeking donations to make up the shortfall.
“It’s been a very difficult journey for us but we’ve never lost hope in it. That’s why we did our Christmas at Lifepointe last year and that’s why we keep our mums and bubs and our ministry going,” he said.
“Our church hasn’t got smaller. Our church has continued to grow.”
Pastor Greenbury said the church intended to turn the negative of the fire into a positive by building a better complex more suited to weekly church services and community uses during the rest of the week.
“There are parts that are the same and parts that aren’t. We are looking at making it more a new community centre where the community are free to come and use it,” he said.
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“We’ve done that in the past but we’re looking at an auditorium being able to be divided up into three separate rooms so people can get in there and use it during the week.”
Pastor Greenbury said it was envisioned the new building would have the latest technology but consideration had been given to acoustics and the design was similar to three buildings opening on to a central courtyard.
The complex would face towards bushland to the east rather than opening out on to the houses that had been built along some of the boundaries since the church was established 24 years ago, he said.
He hoped construction of the new complex would be able to start before the end of the year.
“We want to get it back up as soon as we can so then we can have Christmas at Lifepointe back here. So many families really appreciate that,” he said.
“That’s the dream. That 12 months is the dream.”
He said the new facility could be built in stages if the church did not have enough money but he hoped donations would enable it to be completed all at once.
Pastor Greenbury thanked project manager Richie Studiman, of Stone Fusion Projects, town planner Brooke Wildin, of Pace Planning, and architect Ben Kearney, of Kearney Architecture, for their work on the rebuild plans.
“We’ve paid them all but they’ve gone out of their way for us, above and beyond to help us out,” he said.
As the new complex will differ slightly to the original, the church is seeking minor changes to its existing approval.
A town planning report lodged by Pace Planning notes the site cover will be 25.5 per cent compared to the 17.2 per cent originally approved, although that had increased with improvements.
An ancillary use as community centre will continue so that Lifepointe will continue to be an artistic, social and cultural hub.
The report shows that on-site parking will reduce from the amount originally approved but that Immanuel, as well as the nearby Gregson and Weight funeral home and Maroochydore Rugby League Club car parks, could take up the slack.
The original approval included 240 spaces, of which at least 180 were to be sealed and the balance temporarily on the lawn.
The new application includes 180 sealed spaces, four disabled parking spaces, three for buses, eight for motorcycles and 20 for bikes.
Pastor Greenbury, in a supporting letter, says the on-site parking is adequate for normal church activities and extra parking is only necessary during special events, such as the 10-night Christmas lights festival that draws 5000-6000 people a night.
“This annual event is the only ‘regular’ large event planned each year and is famous on the Sunshine Coast for engaging with the local community and is sponsored by Sunshine Coast Council,” he writes.
He says the church has arrangements with Immanuel, Gregson and Weight and the rugby league club during big events, shuttling people back and forth by bus or golf cart.
“A system is in place and is proven to be effective,” he says.
The church plans to maintain the existing landscaping, with some improvements to complement the new building.
The application is under assessment with the council.
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