Members of the Tabernacle shovel some dirt ceremonially on June 16 at The Tabernacle at Sandy Creek’s groundbreaking for an expansion project.
Submitted photo
The crowd that came to the groundbreaking ceremony on June 16 at The Tabernacle at Sandy Creek’s groundbreaking site.
Submitted photo
Gary Huff speaking to the congregation while Senior Pastor Larry Arrowood, right, stands beside him. Huff is president of the Project 70 campaign to raise funding for the project.
Submitted photo
The Tabernacle at Sandy Creek marked a significant milestone on June 16, breaking ground on an expansive 50,000 square-foot worship and educational facility.
This new facility offers a blend of modern amenities and thoughtful design to better serve the congregants and community, according to a news release from the church on the city’s far east side.
The expansion features 14 classrooms dedicated to Bible education, addressing the church’s commitment to spiritual growth across all age groups.
A large gathering space will house a bookstore and café, providing a welcoming environment for fellowship and community building. Additional office space and a conference center will better serve the ministers and department directors of the church.
The centerpiece of the new structure is an 800-seat auditorium, designed as a state-of-the-art worship facility with an industrial, modern aesthetic.
Connectivity is a key aspect of the design, with the new worship and educational center integrated with their existing facilities by an enclosed corridor.
This layout creates an intuitive flow for guests and members, allowing them to easily navigate between different areas of the facility, according to the news release. Upon entering, all will have clear sightlines to the children’s educational suite to the right, the adult educational center on the left, with a panoramic view of the bookstore, café, office complex and auditorium.
The Tabernacle is multicultural and this expansion enhances their ability to serve the growing and varied congregation, reflecting the changing demographics of the Seymour and Jackson County area. The adult educational space is designed to cater to many age groups from young adults to senior citizens. The children and youth educational facility will allow the church to significantly expand their outreach to families within the community.
For this project, The Tabernacle has partnered with Goecker Construction, a local business as the primary contractor and Jackson County Bank for financing. This collaboration underscores the church’s commitment to supporting the local economy while building for the future. The project is to be completed by early 2026.
The congregation is excited about the growth potential this expansion represents, according to the news release. It will not only accommodate their increasing attendance but also enhance their ability to serve the community at large.
The new facility is on 36 acres on Sandy Creek Drive, situated across the street from the Shadowood Golf Course, and is poised to become a landmark in the area, visible from Interstate 65, symbolizing the church’s dedication to spiritual growth and community engagement.
In January of 2023, the church launched Project 70 to raise about $3 million for the expansion project.
Gary Huff is the chairman of the Project 70 committee for the church, which was founded more than 70 years in small house near the Seymour Country Club on the city’s northside. The church was later moved into a small one-room schoolhouse in an area of Seymour known as Woodstock before moving to the former Methodist Church at Indianapolis Avenue and Third Street in downtown Seymour.
A host of guests attended the groundbreaking ceremony including Amanda Lowry, representing the office of Indiana Ninth District Congresswoman Erin Houchin of Salem; Jackson Chamber of Commerce Director Dan Robison; Dave and Kari Richardson with Jackson County Bank; Brandon Goecker and Tom Goecker with Goecker Construction; the Rev. Dan Mitchell and Joan Mitchell, superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church Indiana District; and Todd and Sherry Smith, former assistant pastors of the church.
Also present were members of the church from its original location in the Seymour Woodstock area, founded in 1953. The church ministers and spouses, board of directors and spouses, and various age groups representing multiple areas of the church’s ministry participated in the groundbreaking.
King’s Construction has already moved hundreds of truckloads of dirt from the site. As construction continues, The Tabernacle invites the public to visit the property and witness the development firsthand.
According to the news release, the expansion is more than a building project — it is an investment in the spiritual and social fabric of the community.
