New Wine Fellowship purchases shopping center for huge youth rec center

By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

LAPLACE – The first vision of New Wine Christian Fellowship was realized recently as they purchased the entire shopping center in the 1900 block of West Airline Highway, buying it for $3.8 million from Security National Servicing Corp. in Eureka, Calif.

Now, according to Pastor Neil Bernard, the next vision is in front of them.

“We have always had a vision for reaching out to the community in many ways. We don’t want to be a church that just operates within our four walls,” he said. “Now we plan to turn a large segment of this shopping center area into a multi-purpose recreational center to give the youth of this community some place positive to go.”

Bernard feels there has been a severe lack of such a site in St. John Parish, noting that in the 50,000 population parish, there is no such facility for youth to find positive recreational opportunities, to keep them from so much negative peer pressure out there today.

“We want to provide excellence in recreational entertainment,” he said. “We plan to have basketball courts, volleyball courts, an entertainment center, and most of all, positive influence for these kids rather than supporting the negative behavior they are getting from the world.”

The Plaza LaPlace Shopping Center, where New Wine had resided with their sanctuary for 10 years, offers 125,000 total square feet. One wing of the shopping center currently houses businesses which will remain as tenants to the church.

But the vast majority of the shopping center, including the newly purchased 60,000 square feet from the old K-Mart half on the left of the center, will now offer a massive space for a comprehensive recreational facility that will also include learning centers, areas for young people to mix with others in a positive atmosphere, and of course, plenty of fun and recreation of all sorts.

Bernard has gotten some strong support to make the vision a reality, as St. John Sheriff Wayne Jones says he is a “100 percent committed, first hand partner” in the endeavor.

Jones will be helping with his inmate labor program when the facility is renovated, and is also spearheading meetings with industry officials in the area for financial support. The center could use as much as $500,000 for the complete project to be ready by the summer of 2008, but will also need an annual commitment from big business for the hefty annual maintenance fees that will be needed.

None of those big numbers bothers Bernard, since he said his church has operated on faith all along, and always seen the provision.

“Provision follows vision,” Bernard said. “God has always provided the resources for what we want to do, since I believe we have a sincere intent to do good in this community, especially in this area where the youth have been neglected.”

Just coming up with the down payment of $800,000 on the $3.8 million purchase was a challenge, but it was accomplished by his church membership of 500, along with others. The church had saved $500,000 already, and Bernard said they accomplished a major feat by raising $350,000 in 60 days to complete the needed funds to make the deal happen.

“Since founding the church we have had a vision of buying the entire shopping center and converting most of the space into a multicultural community and family life center to serve the River Parishes,” he said. “And then when we had the opportunity to close the deal, we asked people to stretch their faith and they did. Out of gratitude, they gave generously. God uses people to accomplish his miracles.”

Jones said he has worked with Bernard on many projects in the past that have benefited the parish.

New Wine has been involved in prison ministry, inmate rehabilitation and tutoring at the prisons, as well as a multitude of other outreach programs such as a computer center, school supply giveaways, teacher appreciation programs, food and clothing bank, summer camp for disadvantaged children, marriage seminars, and ministries for singles, divorced and widowed people.

“No one has addressed this program to this magnitude, and clearly Neil understood what this problem is all about. He has always been very sincere in what he wants to do even though a lot of others have turned a deaf ear to this kind of thing here in the parish,” Jones said. “This will address our youth situation where we have a void. For too long there have been too many of our young people on street corners, and this should help them have a positive place to go.”

Bernard added “we are just thankful to God for this opportunity. I’m just a tool as others are, to help these young people. We hope to have other churches, business people and individuals all help us with this. I’m just excited to have this started.”