64
Spirituality
Sept. 19 - Oct. 2, 2015
www.SanTanSun.com
Pastor dons hard hat, builds church for his congregation BY KENNETH LAFAVE
Tim Klontz wears a hard hat to church. Not on Sundays, of course. And technically, it’s not a church—yet. “People at church call me ‘Pastor Tim,’” Klontz said, pulling off his work gloves. People at Klontz Builders Inc. call him boss. “I’ve been a pastor for 35 years and I got my general contractor’s license in 1998,” Klontz explained of his dual professions. If preaching the Bible and overseeing construction are not exactly an everyday combination, Klontz cites a precedent: “Jesus was a builder, too.” Klontz is senior pastor at Chandler’s Family Bible Church, currently located at 2725 S. Alma School Rd. The construction site for Family Bible’s campus-to-be is at the corner of Ocotillo and McQueen roads. The 225-person congregation plans to move into the new structure sometime next year. Family Bible Church has leased its current location since 2010, Klontz said. The economics of owning versus leasing and the need to accommodate a growing congregation led the church to buy land and finance a new, larger building. “What we have now is around 15,000 square foot, and what we’ll move into next year will be around 25,000,” he said. “When you’ve been making lease payments on somebody else’s property, you realize that can build your own and it
can end up costing less.” For most of Klontz’s life, the world of the Word and that of concrete met in his firm’s specialty of building churches. “I’ve built churches all around the Valley,” he said, reeling off some of their names: Grace Fellowship in Buckeye; Estrella Mountain Church in Goodyear; Grace Church in Mesa; Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert; Centro de Alabanza Juda in Chandler. Now, for the first time, those two worlds are meeting in Klontz’s church. Family Bible Church began in 2004 with a very small congregation that met in Hancock Elementary School in Chandler. After six years, it moved into the rental property, where the congregation numbers about 220. Anticipating further growth over the coming years, Klontz said the new building will have a main space seating 450, plus rooms for Sunday School, a nursery and various ministries. Klontz is not the only one at Family Bible contributing work on the new building. “Our children’s pastor is a professional architect named Andrew Carson,” who drew up the plans, Klontz said. Another member of the church is Dana Wheeler of Integra Engineering, who has overseen the engineering. And for financing, the church called on the expertise of member Don Wheeler, a senior vice president at Alliance Bank of Arizona. It’s in keeping with the volunteer
Contractor Tim Klontz is building a church for his congregation. Submitted photo
tradition of Family Bible. “As senior pastor, I’m the only paid, fulltime employee of the church,” Klontz said, adding that some part-time workers are employed in the church nursery. “Everybody else volunteers, including our youth pastor and a pastor who visits the prisons.” Klontz characterizes Family Bible
Church as “a Bible-centered, Christian conservative church that teaches people how to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” Kenneth LaFave is an associate editor with the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at klafave@timespublications. com.
St. Andrew hosts fifth Health & Wellness Expo St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Faith Community has scheduled its fifth Health & Wellness Expo for 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at the church, 3450 W. Ray Rd., Chandler. The free event will feature more than 30 booths manned by folks in all phases of health and wellness—diagnostics, physicians, chiropractic offices, massage therapists, insurance representatives and more. Attendees will enjoy
demonstrations, massages, informational handouts, treats and door prizes. Parish nurses will provide free blood pressure screenings. Flu shots will be available at the Walgreens booth. More than 3,000 people are anticipated. St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Faith Community is a parish of more than 4,700. For more information, call (480) 899-1990, ext. 136, or visit www. standrewchandler.com.
WEDNESDAY: Bible Study 12 Noon & 7 p.m. SUNDAY: WORSHIP 10 a.m. 19609 S. McQueen Rd. • Chandler, AZ 480-899-LIFE (5433) • 480-343-0022 www.gospel4life.org
Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.
Chandler United Methodist Church
Celebrating more than 100 Years in Chandler. Making and Deploying Disciples Who Put God First, Since 1913.
SUNDAY WORSHIP Traditional Worship.................. 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. SUNDAY SCHOOL For Children ............................. 8:40 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR ADULTS ..................................................... 9:45 a.m. ADULT BIBLE STUDY “When Christians Get It Wrong” .... Wednesdays at 7 p.m. 480-963-3360 • www.chandlermethodist.org • 450 E. Chandler Heights Rd.