First, however, Patrick Lasik needs to gain a variance from the Castanea Township zoning hearing board and conditional use approval from the board of supervisors.

A joint public hearing between the supervisors and zoning board is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, in the township building at 346 Nittany Road.

The public is invited to attend.

Frank Miceli, the solicitor for both the township supervisors and zoning board, said, “The joint meeting will run concurrently to get both the variance and the conditional use in the same day.”

DEREK DANNEKER/THE EXPRESS Big Woods Senior Pastor Tom Boger talks with contractors working on the project.

Under the township zoning ordinance for that district, only up to four housing units are allowed to be made in the same building.

“A municipality can form different districts; for example, a high density district, a low density district, or even an agricultural district,” Miceli explained.

Miceli explained the church’s property is in a Residential Medium Density District, which only authorizes multi-family dwellings of more than four units with conditional use granted by the township supervisors.

Under the same section, the zoning hearing board must grant a variance to allow for construction on the building.

Meanwhile Joshua Hamilton, associate pastor of Big Woods Bible Church, is “extremely excited” for the change.

DEREK DANNEKER/THE EXPRESS The building that has housed Big Woods Bible Church for 13 years is the former Castanea Elementary School at 120 Logan Ave. Property owner Patrick Lasik is seeking a variance from the Castanea Township zoning hearing board and conditional use approval from the board of supervisors to turn the structure into a 17-unit apartment complex.

He said, “We’re looking forward to getting everyone under one roof.”

Currently, the church building — the old Castanea Elementary School — is too small to accommodate the entire church body of approximately 250 to 300 people at one time, according to Hamilton.

To serve the entire congregation, the church must hold two separate Sunday morning sermons. Even when separating the congregation, the church struggles to fit into the meager number of parking spaces, Hamilton said.

“Castanea has been generous in allowing us to park throughout the community,” he added.

The new warehouse, located across Bald Eagle Creek at 241 Hanna St., was acquired on Aug. 26, 2015 and “is currently in Stage 2 of its three-stage plan,” Hamilton said. “The first was paying $7,000 in cash to secure the building, and Stage 2 is building the main offices, classroom and main auditorium.”

DEREK DANNEKER/THE EXPRESS Big Woods will move into this building.

According to Hamilton, when combining the purchase and renovation of the warehouse into a functional church, the investment comes in at around $3.3 million.

But “we’re only building a building,” said Tom Boger, senior pastor of Big Woods.

Boger lights up when he speaks about the move.

“God will make the church,” he declared.

Big Woods hopes to move into the new church by April 1, just in time for Easter Sunday.

Though only a short geographic move, Boger said, “We want to move close to the community. In the new location we are in walking distance to hundreds of people living in the housing complex.”

Boger believes that by moving to the other side of Route 220, Big Woods will be more accessible to students attending Lock Haven University, to whom Big Woods offers free rides to services. Big Woods also has Aaron Batdorf, associate pastor of discipleship, working with students.

Batdorf has served as pastor to students at LHU for the past four years and oversees New Life Christian Student Fellowship.

But it isn’t just geographic barriers Boger hopes to eliminate.

“We aren’t just a hip church for young people, we’re in a rural community where relationships matter. A lot of churches are specialized to one group. We want to get away from that. We want to reach across generational and socio-economic lines,” he said,

The new building will come replete with a large multi-purpose room that will be open for Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, and for local groups to play indoor soccer, basketball and baton dancing. With nearly 35,000 square feet, the facility will be able to accommodate up to 750 people.

Boger hopes to invite parents into a new lobby with a cafe for coffee and a chance to warm themselves by a new fireplace while they wait for their children.

Looking back at the church’s years in the old school, Boger said, “We’ve been here about 13 years. It’s a historic building and I hope the new owners preserve the look and integrity of it.”

Big Woods Bible Church started in 1984 as Big Woods Chapel.

Meeting at the Lock Haven YMCA at the time, the founding members were a small group of Lock Haven University students and a few community members. Through the years they have met in local parks, shared church buildings and met at Keystone Central Vo-Tech School.

As Big Woods changes locations once more, it wants to change the stereotype, Boger said.

“A lot of churches have given people a lot of ammunition for people to throw at it through hypocrisy,” he said. “We want to break that.”