News Photo by Justin A. Hinkley From left, Scott Donald, Dan Daoust, and Matt Winter applaud after cutting the ribbon on the new youth room at Living Hope Church on Sunday.

ALPENA — Church giving and the talents of parishioners over the past several months culminated on Sunday with the unveiling of a new youth room at Living Hope Church.

While elders at the church, 1499 M-32, Alpena, have discussed building a youth room for four or five years, the project didn’t begin in earnest until about six months ago, when the church began asking its flock to give to the cause.

To date, parishioners have given more than $18,000 toward the $20,000 renovation of what had been storage space and is now a carpeted, clean, modern, nearly 800-square-foot space for Sunday school.

“We did it all by faith,” said Eldrick Lal, senior pastor at the church, referencing Psalms 20:7, which says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

“We began by not having a single penny,” Lal added. “And I’m thankful to God that people hilariously, delightfully gave to the cause.”

The church tapped the talent of its flock to make the room a reality. Jeanne Cornelius designed the room, for example, while Dan Daoust oversaw the construction. Lal also credited the “studious, hardworking” contractors who built the room.

“The Lord has given us several gifts, and it is up to us to use those gifts,” Lal said. “I believe that every believer is very gifted. The irony is that we don’t use our gifts to the maximum.”

Before Sunday’s ribbon-cutting, the church’s Sunday school services happened in the church cafe. The youth room provides a dedicated space for those services.

“We can speak into their lives in a way we can’t speak into their lives in the big room,” said Scott Donald, a pastor at the church, referencing the sanctuary. “We can talk hard truths in the big room. We talk different truths out here … Larry the Cucumber (from “Veggie Tales”) can talk to kids a lot better than Matt or I can, and they can understand that better. So we can help get the word in their hearts.”

Children will attend Sunday school for the first time in the new room on Sunday.

“This is for the community,” Lal said.