There's new life on the way to the old dollar theater outside the Millcreek Mall.


After nearly three years of hosting services at Harding Elementary, Elevate Church and its worshipers, will soon worship in the former dollar theater.

"Signed, sealed, delivered, it's a done deal," said Pastor Colby Atkins. "We are on a mission to reach people with the message of hope and Jesus Christ. And we're just doing everything we can to get that word out there every single week. It's not just about Elevate Church, it's really about God having a platform for reaching the entire city."

Atkins, his wife, and seven other families started Elevate Church three years ago. They've created a relatable atmosphere, where people can come as they are without judgement, and most importantly, connect with God.


"It was our desire, Colby and me, our desire that we would have a church where we can bring our friends, our people who didn't want to go to church, our people who had been hurt by the church," said Kristen Atkins, director of operations at Elevate Church.


Since then, the church has flourished with both young and old seeking God, and a church to call their own. "We really enjoy the services," said KC Lewis-Murry, who started attending Elevate Church two months ago. "It's very fun, it's very enjoying to come and every week that I come, I come out feeling refreshed, it' gives me a lot of hope and strength to get through my week."

Atkins credits God and the worshipers coming back week after week for the church's growth. The new facility will give Atkins and his team, a bigger platform to reach more people, offering more services and ministries, to those who need them the most.

"We could care less about the name that's on the side of the building," said Atkins. "We as a whole are just uniting under the name that we all serve and that the name of Jesus in our city, we're all about elevating his name. And we just think this is just one step that God is opening these doors for us to increase, really his influence in our city."


Atkins says renovations begin this week. He hopes to be moved in by late August, or early September. To learn more about Elevate Church, you can visit