TORRINGTON – Lifeway Church didn’t even exist in Torrington eight years ago. Now, Pastor Cody Dyer and congregation are gearing up to move into their new 14,400 square-foot home in less than a month’s time.

In September 2010, former pastor Marty Rostad and wife, Nancy, moved to Torrington from Clearmont in north-central Wyoming to guide Lifeway and its initial 10-member congregation – who originally met on the Eastern Wyoming College campus – to a church building on F Street. Members soon outgrew this facility, and Lifeway purchased the old skating rink on the east side of town.

“The new facility … will afford Lifeway with much-needed classrooms, a bigger sanctuary, fellowship hall, and parking,” Dyer said. 

While church members were excited to secure a new location, the former skating rink needed a complete overhaul – the project officially began two years ago when the property was purchased. Construction started
last June.

“Twelve different volunteer crews gave one week of their lives to spend working last summer on this project,” Dyer said. “These crews were under the watchful eye of Ed and Helen Helms, whom headed up the North Carolina Baptist missions team. Crews came from as far away as North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and Montana. These crews accomplished a lot last summer, but we were far from done. From September to July of this past summer, work continued on this project with our own congregation volunteering Monday nights, Saturdays … we were blessed when a group of volunteers came out for a week from Missouri, and the following week a group from Texas gave another week to spur us on. 

“We have recorded many of these memories on our Facebook and website through pictures of many of these crews,” he added.

Last week, members of the Lifeway congregation gathered to hang the church’s official signs on the building. Prisoners at Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington constructed the signs for the church.

“There is still plenty of work to be done, and we will be moving in with stuff ‘undone’,” Dyer said. “But that’s OK. The floors, fellowship hall, kitchen, will still need work, but we feel it is important to come into this new facility, even undone, and start worshiping and glorifying God. He has brought Lifeway from the 10 people seven years ago to the place we are at. This new sanctuary will be able to seat 320 people. I laugh, it reminds me of the baseball movie ‘Field of Dreams’ when they say, ‘build it and they will come.’ That is where we are at. We are building it, now it’s time for people to come.”

Lifeway plans to begin worship in the new location on Sunday, Nov. 5. Leading up to this event, children’s ministry, also known as Awana, will begin Wednesday, Oct. 11 at the new location running from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This will continue every Wednesday night throughout the
school year.

“As the pastor of Lifeway, I am excited to be a part of such a special opportunity God has afforded us,” Dyer said. “We are a group of imperfect people serving a perfect God. And that’s the message we want to present to people. This is an opportunity, if you don’t have a church home, come start with us. Come as you are, and be a part of something special God is building.

“I stepped up as the pastor of Lifeway last November, and am continually amazed how God is working through the people here,” he continued. “This is the most welcoming and family friendly group of people I have ever been around, and our hopes as a church is to be light to the community (Matthew 5:16), using this building to serve the community, not only through worship opportunities, but in other philanthropic ways, as well.”

In addition to Awana and regular worship (at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays), Lifeway offers adult bible studies (Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.), youth outreach (including What’s the Faith? – a seeker’s group held Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in Room T116 at EWC), children’s church, men’s breakfast, a monthly ladies get-together, and vacation bible school.

Further information is available on lifewaytorrington.org, or visit the church’s Facebook page.

“I just have to step back in amazement of what God is accomplishing here,” Dyer said. “God has a plan, and it’s fun to be a part of it.”