TRENTON, MAINE – When Commercial Coastal Maine’s Fred Noyes closed the sale of property on Standard Lane to a local church congregation, the property was nothing special.  It was a neglected piece of real estate that had once been home to a roller skating rink, a go-cart track, and most recently Standard Electric’s warehouse before sitting abandoned for several months. Noyes saw signs of that abandonment everywhere from the trash on the grounds to the dirty and run down interior.  That was his last memory of the property until he returned for last month's Business After Hours event hosted by Faith Community Fellowship and the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce. Nothing in his memory prepared him for the transformation that met him the moment he walked in the door.

            Faith Community Fellowship pastors Bob and Todd Crosthwaite gave tours of the building throughout the evening.  Reflecting on Noyes’s reaction, Todd Crosthwaite said, "He was pretty surprised."  The abandoned warehouse he remembered was gone. Surprise was a common reaction among the local businesspeople in attendance.  Many of them remembered the building on Standard Lane as the place where they came to roller skate when they were in high school. It certainly wasn't the building they remembered, either.

            The transformation from warehouse to church building came in stages.  The first and largest renovation took several months and hundreds of volunteer hours on projects from plumbing to painting and from carpentry to electrical.  Such efforts required the involvement of the entire congregation, and Crosthwaite recognizes that this phase of the project strengthened the feeling of community within the church family.  The second major renovation of Faith Community Fellowship's facility was completed just in time for the Business After Hours event, when the church’s ministries for children and students expanded into parts of the building previously kept as rental space. Having worked with Crosthwaite on projects unrelated to Faith Community, EACC board of directors president, Christina Harding, gained a new perspective on his work as she toured the building.  She said of Crosthwaite, “It’s clear that this is his true passion.”

            Despite the leadership, dedication, and effort apparent in Faith Community’s physical space, gaining recognition was not the congregation's purpose in hosting a Business After Hours.  Crosthwaite stated that Faith Community Fellowship's purpose as host was "to connect with the business community in a non-threatening, non-religious way."  In the days before the event, Crosthwaite asked members of his congregation to attend the Business After Hours and use it as an opportunity to build relationships with members of the local business community. Crosthwaite and others at Faith Community Fellowship believe that relationship building is the first step toward fulfilling their mission. That mission, as stated on Faith Community’s Website, is “to lead people to become fully-devoted followers of Christ.”

            EACC director Micki Sumpter viewed Faith Community's hosting of a Business After Hours from a different perspective.  She sees the example that Faith Community Fellowship sets for Ellsworth's business community as noteworthy.  Sumpter stated the reason for recognizing Faith Community in a business context this way. “We’re here because this is a good business.”  Like many others who attended the event, Sumpter remembers other businesses that have resided in the church's building.  She used economic and community development terms to express her opinion about the transformation as well. “What a wonderful example of the revitalization of Ellsworth.”

            Although the organizations have different reasons for their partnership, last month's Business After Hours adds to a long list of events that Faith Community Fellowship and the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce have participated in together.  The partnership began in 2000 when the church was invited to provide live band music for Ellsworth's autumn festival. Shortly after that, the church's band began to play for the chamber's annual meeting, providing sound equipment and volunteers for the event as well.  Over time, the relationship has progressed from these occasional contributions to cosponsoring the annual Maximum Impact simulcast for business leaders, which Faith Community hosted in association with the chamber for the third consecutive year on May 11.

            Reflecting on Faith Community Fellowship's nearly 10 years in existence and many opportunities to work with the EACC, Crosthwaite has two goals for the future.   He hopes to grow Maximum Impact as the focus of Faith Community Fellowship's partnership with the chamber, increasing attendance at and enhancing the experience of next year's simulcast. Crosthwaite also has high aspirations for the continued growth of the church itself. “I think we just need to build on the momentum of the past couple of years, whether that means starting new ministries or refining what we are already doing.”  He says Faith Community’s willingness to change its methods is the key to maintaining momentum. To those who learned to roller skate in the building on Standard Lane, these words might sound vaguely familiar. It turns out roller skating and church are similar. The secret to success is to keep moving.

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