SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A city church that was once on wheels, now has a permanent home in Springfield.

After nine years of not having a place to call home, Restoration City Church has finally settled on Boston Road in Springfield.

The new 20,000-square-foot worship space was unveiled Friday evening during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We needed a hub, we needed kind of an empty center, where we would be able to do ministry and continue to grow and expand; The vision for us a ministry is we want to be able to preach the gospel throughout New England,” Lead Pastor Eli Serrano tells 22News.

The building was first purchased in 2018 before being renovated from what was once Namco Pools. For the last several years, the church has been set up at places like Pioneer Valley Christian Academy and Chestnut Accelerated Middle School.

Mayor Domenic Sarno was one of many attendees, “This was a barren desert area here, now it’s an oasis of community programs, service, spiritual wisdom, and outreach,” says Sarno.

The church will now be able to serve over 600 people at each service. This will keep to the church’s mission, which started 14 years ago, to build relationships and bring the Christian community together.

“What I see is generations and generations of my family coming to serve, coming to the feet of Christ and being part of the continued expansion of the ministry,” Founding Member Deborah Rodriguez says.

On Mother’s Day, the church will not only have its grand opening but host its first services. In the next couple of months, the church plans to take ownership of the former Smokey Bones BBQ next door, to install a youth center.