Future of Beacon Bowl

Riverside Church acquired (debt free) the former Beacon Bowling alley near the South Bend Airport in December 2010 (yes, there is an amazing story behind how this happened). Ironically, we actually liked not having a “church building,” as it’s kept us focused on people instead of a facility (we meet on Sunday mornings in a school and in homes through out the week).

But, now we own a building (again, real neat story on how that happened). And because part of our mission is to “impact the world,” we need to do something special with this facility. Let’s be honest; church buildings are nice, but another traditional “church building” isn’t going to “impact the world.”

Because of this, we have decided to convert the facility into a “community center” type place. A place where not only our church can eventually meet, but more importantly where the community can connect and grow, kids and students can be themselves in a safe environment, local non-profits can utilize it to increase their impact, and much much more.

So, that’s the plan, establish a community center for our side of town. And because of this vision, we would love YOUR input as to what would be helpful in the facility. We have met with local non-profits, the surrounding South Bend Schools, folks in different South Bend neighborhoods, and are starting to plan the inside layout with an architect. BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! What do you see as some of the needs and opportunities in our area?

Click here to let us know!