Mount Hope Christian Center to Construct Family Life Center

The moved to Burlington from Lexington in 1985. Parishioners worked over the summer of 1985 to clean and renovate the abandoned Meadowbrook School to make it suitable for use as a church and learning center for pre-school and elementary aged children.  Since that time, Mt. Hope has continued to grow and evolve and, according to Town Administrator Bob Mercier, has been an ideal tenant and neighbor.

"The Town of Burlington and Mt. Hope have enjoyed a long and beneficial relationship through the years. The Mt. Hope Academy has provided our residents with a high quality local alternative to our own excellent Public Education system and has through the years maintained and enhanced a town-owned facility at no cost to Burlington taxpayers,” said Mercier.

Now Mt. Hope is preparing for yet another change. The church has gained approval from the Planning Board to build a Family Life Center on the grounds of the school. The center, which will be located in the back parking lot, will overlook practice fields. The one room facility will be approximately 9,000 square feet and will serve as both a gymnasium and a function hall.

“Mt. Hope has embraced the community of Burlington and the new "community center" is another tangible manifestation of the strong partnership that will benefit our community for many years to come,” added Mercier.

Senior Associate Pastor Brian Krogh explained that the church community has been struggling with space needs for some time.

“We’ve been maxing out the facility for years. Many of our spaces are multi purpose,” he said.

Krogh went on to explain that the school desperately needs a gym.

“In winter, the children run around in the sanctuary. It’s not ideal,” he explained.

The Church expects to break ground on the new Family Life Center this September. Krogh said that most of the required approvals have been obtained, but the final construction documents must still be approved by the Town.

The new center will boast one large room with high ceilings to accommodate basketball games, and a stage at one end of the room. It will also include a foyer, preparatory kitchen and restroom facilities.  When arranged for a function, the hall will hold up to 200 guests making it appropriate for a multitude of events.

Senior Pastor Rick Picariello explained that it is the goal of Mt. Hope to develop a facility that will benefit both the church community and the larger community of Burlington.

“At Mount Hope we have always tried to find new and unique ways to serve the community," said Picariello. "Not only will the Family Life Center serve our church and school programs, but also we anticipate this facility will be a blessing to the community at large.  We look forward to continuing to be a vibrant part of Burlington for many years to come." 

Krogh told the Burlington Patch that Mt. Hope intends to make its Family Life Center available to community groups when it is not being used by the church or school.

“We’ve already received phone calls from area coachs. We would love for Mt. Hope to be on local basketball team schedules – and volleyball too,” said Krogh.

Krogh also praised his parishioners for their generosity in helping to pay for this ambitious expansion. According to Krogh, fundraising began in earnest in September 2010. Church members pledged donations over three years. The Mt. Hope Christian School also participates mostly with event-based fundraisers.

Elaine Driscoll, Principal of Mount Hope Christian School is excited about the new Family Life Center project.

“As we anticipate this new facility, our theme for the school year is Health and Wellness,” said Driscoll.  “The addition of a new gymnasium will allow us to provide an excellent, holistic education,” she added.

Burlington Patch will continue to follow this story and advise readers of future fundraising events at Mt. Hope.