The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon location in downtown Bend is receiving some welcome funds — and volunteer work — from Compass Church.

Since its start 10 years ago, the church has been mobile. During the last year, Sunday services were held at Summit High School. The church also has a Thursday night service at Foundry Church, 60 NW Oregon Ave.

Recently, a church that used to rent space for services at the Boys & Girls Clubs downtown location on Wall Street moved on. The club’s executive director, Derek Beauvais, thought of Compass Church to take its place. Compass was already holding its youth group meetings there, and some of the interns at Compass were also working at the Boys & Girls Clubs downtown. To Beauvais, it seemed like the right fit to offer the space for rent to the church, and an agreement was made.

“We’re incredibly happy with the partnership with Compass,” Beauvais said Saturday. “It’s been amazing to see the engagement their church community has had in the club.”

Although the church will pay rent to use the building for its Sunday services, it made an additional donation of $50,000. Most of the money will go toward renovations.

“The need was there,” said Drew Price, pastor at Compass Church. He knows the number of kids who come through the club contributes to a lot of wear and tear, from flooring to furniture.

Price’s wife, Kathy Price, explained although the church is renting, the relationship with the club goes beyond that.

“We’re renters, but it’s mutually beneficial,” she said.

So far, members of the congregation have been working on renovating a downstairs bathroom. And last week, Beauvais said, about 20 church members painted the walls in the gym, which probably were last painted more than 15 years ago.

More additions will include video projectors and installing sound panels.

“We have a lot of contractors in our congregation,” Drew Price said with a laugh, adding, “We have people who love to give for these kinds of things.”

For Beauvais, hosting a church is part of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ goal of being a gathering place for all kinds of members of the community. Beauvais said that right now about 27 groups, other than the club, regularly use the facilities. For example, Bend Pickleball Club plays there, and the Bend Police Department uses the gym for team-building exercises, such as basketball. Both of those groups have become involved with the kids, too.

“We try to make sure that’s one of the things that’s on the forefront,” Beauvais said of the facilities involving the community as a whole. “We know that the building was remodeled in the ’90s with the idea of it being a community building.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0325,

kfisicaro@bendbulletin.com