Lawrence Wesleyan Church, a presence in the community since 1936, is ready to unveil its new home.

The church will be host to an open house and dedication ceremony Sunday at its new location, 3705 Clinton Parkway  the old headquarters of the Lawrence school district.

The open house is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a short dedication ceremony. The events are open to the community, and refreshments will be served.

Lawrence Wesleyan’s previous location was at Ninth Street and Madeline Lane, where the church had been based from 1959 until early July 2002.

In July, the congregation moved to the new site, and the first Sunday worship service was held there Aug. 4.

The 15,000-square-foot building on Clinton Parkway has been renovated and reconfigured to serve the needs of the 250-member congregation.

The Rev. Nathan Rovenstine, senior pastor, estimated that church members and friends put in 4,000 hours of volunteer labor to get the job done.

“It was extremely beneficial. It showed their heart toward God and the church. Our two contractors who oversaw everything were both volunteers, too. It was an amazing thing to watch work,” he said.

“The reaction (to the remodeling) has been very positive  everybody is really excited. There are so many people who are invested in it. The excitement is personal.”

Rovenstine estimated the cost of remodeling the building at $200,000.

The congregation purchased the old Lawrence public schools administration building for $905,000. The sale of the two-floor facility was approved Nov. 5, 2001. The deal closed and Lawrence Wesleyan took possession of the property Feb. 1.

The site had been on the market since May 1999, and had been most recently used for one year by Raintree Montessori School after a fire at its facility.

The school district administration moved to an office and warehouse building at 110 McDonald Drive in late 1999.

Lawrence Wesleyan’s new home is a big step up for the church.

“Our facility was too limited over on Madeline. This (site) gives us the opportunity to have a larger and more visible location to continue the ministry we have had here in Lawrence since 1936,” Rovenstine said.

“We liked the location, it was a building that lent itself to being renovated into a church and we liked the size of it. It’s about 15,000 square feet, compared to the 5,800 square feet that we had before (in the old church).”

Now Lawrence Wesleyan will have the room it needs for its teen and children’s ministries, as well as other important programs.

Workers gutted the building’s two main office areas, creating a sanctuary space and foyer. Walls were moved, space reconfigured and former offices turned into classrooms.

Rovenstine thinks the public will be as impressed by the results.

“Some of the people in our church created a very warm, inviting place to worship,” he said. “They took what was just an office and turned it into a real sanctuary. It really looks nice. I couldn’t be happier, to be honest with you.”