Capital Christian Center is set down in a newish northeast Bismarck neighborhood, but it has neighbors all over the city and even across the country.

Not only did a caravan of RV-traveling volunteers from all over the U.S. help construct its new building at 3838 Jericho Road, but its own church members did nearly all the rest of the construction themselves, including Elmer and Darleen Hauff, a retired couple who worked on site nearly every weekday for three years.

Capital Christian Center members made office and altar furniture, hung wallboard, laid tile and did the hundred and one other jobs required to complete a 13,500-square-foot building.

A gift of chandeliers came from Evangel Temple members. Oak wall trim and handrails, even shelves, throughout the building are made from 22 pews formerly used by the local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - courtesy of an exchange between a Capital Christian member and his Mormon neighbor. The land for the church building was donated by the Leichty family of Jamestown.

The gift of a gas fireplace in a spacious fireside room just inside the main doors was a gift from Gordon Nickell, the late father-in-law of the Rev. Dave Sjostrom, pastor of Capital Christian Center. Nickell, a church architect from Washington state, came out of retirement at age 88 to design the facility. He died in December 2004.

Capital Christian Center held its first service five years ago, on April 2, 2000. In the beginning, it met at the Palace Arms Hotel and later at Solheim Elementary School. The first service in the still-uncompleted building was held in November 2003.

With completion, the church has a sanctuary that seats 250, the fireside room adjacent to the foyer, a fellowship hall, classrooms and office space. Future plans call for the operation of a daycare center and preschool.

The building will be formally dedicated at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, with Sjostrom leading the dedication service. The main speaker will be the Rev. Leon Freitag, superintendent of the North Dakota District of the Assemblies of God. Music will be by Servant's Heart of Trinity Bible College in Ellendale. A formal act of dedication will highlight the service, followed by a light lunch in the fellowship hall.

Regular service times at Capital Christian Center are 9 a.m., Sunday school; 10 a.m., worship; and 6 p.m. worship the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Saturday prayer services are at 6 p.m.