Woods Chapel Celebrates New Church

On Saturday, October 10, 2020, Woods Chapel Odessa celebrated the opening of their new church building.

This was the one-year anniversary of a tragic fire which resulted in the loss of the original church, which was built in 1884.

The original building caught fire and burned to the ground on October 10, 2019 at about 1:35 a.m.

To celebrate the re-opening of the church, there was an open house from 5 to 7 p.m., with more than 100 people in attendance, many who had memories of the original building.

A consecration service was held at 7 p.m., led by Pastor David Mortenson. Recognition was given to Keith Sisk, chairman of the building committee, along with committee members – Lisa Pemberton, Adam Whited, Kyle Whited and Jeremy Barker.

The new building is more than 5,500 sq. ft., nearly double the original church size.

The church features a sanctuary that currently seats 126, with room for expansion. The current attendance at Woods Chapel is about 35, so members are excited with the opportunity for growth and to bring more people to Christ.

There are three classrooms for different age groups – pre-school, elementary and young adults. There is a modern kitchen and large fellowship area.

Keith Sisk had a vision from the beginning of the project that the new building be in the shape of a cross, which has been realized.
The sanctuary is the base of the cross. The classrooms are the top of the cross, with the fellowship area, kitchen and a covered area to drop off members completing the cross.

The new building will have the ability to live-stream services. There are many items in the new church that were donated by members, former members, and churches that have closed.

Memories from the old church have been added as well, including exact duplicates of the stained-glass windows from the old church.