July 28 2026

Grand Opening Open House: A New Space to Welcome More People

Open Arms Community ChurchAnnouncements, churchforall, Event, News 0

Over the past several months, something exciting has been happening at Open Arms Community Church.

If you’ve driven past our building on Congress Street, you’ve probably noticed the work taking place. Inside, dozens of volunteers have been painting, cleaning, installing technology, moving furniture, and preparing our upstairs worship space for a new season of ministry.

But this project has never been about renovating a building.

From the beginning, it has been about creating more room to reach more people and making sure our worship space is accessible to everyone.

We’re excited to share that our new accessibility lift has been installed, all inspections and permits have been completed, and our upstairs worship center is finally ready to open.

To celebrate, we’re inviting the Bradford community to join us for our Grand Opening Open House on Saturday, August 22, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Open Arms Community Church, 71 Congress Street, Bradford, PA.

We’ve been looking forward to opening these doors for a long time, and we’re excited to finally invite our community upstairs to see what God has been doing at Open Arms.

Church for All

One phrase has helped shape this entire project:

Church for All.

We believe everyone should be able to gather together for worship without unnecessary barriers.

For years, our upstairs worship space wasn’t easily accessible for everyone. Installing the new accessibility lift changes that.

Now families with strollers, individuals with mobility challenges, and anyone who needs an easier way upstairs will be able to access the sanctuary more comfortably.

Accessibility isn’t simply a building feature.

It’s one way we live out our desire to be a church where everyone is welcome.

More Room to Reach More People

The upstairs sanctuary also gives us something we’ve needed for a long time—space.

As God has continued to bring new people through our doors, we’ve begun to outgrow our previous worship area. This new sanctuary gives us room to welcome more people, create more opportunities for ministry, and continue serving Bradford for years to come.

Every improvement we’ve made has been with one question in mind:

How can we better serve the people God sends to us?

That’s the reason behind this entire project.

Come See the New Space

The Open House is an opportunity to explore everything that’s been happening behind the scenes.

Take a self-guided tour of the new worship center, children’s ministry areas, classrooms, gathering spaces, and other improvements throughout the upstairs.

Members of our church family will be available throughout the day to answer questions and share the story behind the project.

We’ll also have finger foods and refreshments available, so stop in anytime between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

Ribbon Cutting at Noon

At 12:00 PM, we’ll be joined by the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce for an official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

This milestone represents the work of countless volunteers, generous supporters, and many months of planning and prayer. We’re grateful for everyone who helped make this vision a reality.

What We’re Really Celebrating

We’re certainly excited about the new sanctuary.

But even more than that, we’re excited about what will happen there.

Children will hear about Jesus.

People will discover hope.

Families will worship together.

Friendships will grow.

Lives will be changed through the love of Christ.

That’s why we’ve invested so much time, energy, and prayer into this project.

Because this has never been about creating a nicer building.

It’s about creating more opportunities for people to encounter Jesus.

Join Us