Christy Lattin
Oasis Community Church is breathing new life into Fallon’s old bowling alley, launching a $2 million renovation to transform the old building into a teen center, 600-seat auditorium, and community meeting space.
Even as construction begins, the church isn’t waiting for the project’s completion to start connecting with local youth. For the past several weeks, Oasis volunteers have been serving a free Thursday barbecue lunch to Churchill County High School students—right across the street from campus.
What started with about 20 teens has quickly grown. At their most recent lunch, the church served 86 students.
“The goal is just getting to know them,” said Lead Pastor Caleb Szymanski. “A lot of the kids already eat lunch there, so we want to get to know them and for them to know us.”
Each Thursday, volunteers fire up the grill in the bowling alley’s parking lot, handing out burgers and hot dogs to hungry teens. The smell of barbecue drifts across Taylor Street, drawing small crowds and plenty of laughter as students gather around.
Szymanski said he hopes the lunches continue through the colder months. The church already has a youth center located about 150 yards behind the bowling alley, but getting students to walk that extra distance has proven challenging. “It’s just far enough that they don’t make the trip,” he said.
Oasis purchased the former bowling alley this summer, envisioning it as a multi-use space that will serve both the church and the community. The building was in rough condition when they acquired it.
“It was very dilapidated,” Szymanski said. “There were several water leaks, and every major system—electrical, plumbing, HVAC—needs to be replaced.”
Church members have taken on much of the demolition work themselves. Their goal is to strip the building down to the frame by the end of the year. So far, they’ve already filled 16 forty-yard dumpsters with debris.
This month, church leaders will begin the planning and permitting process and expect to have completed architectural drawings within four to six months. Once finished, the new facility will feature an auditorium capable of seating up to 600 people, new Teen Center, and meeting rooms available for community use.
In keeping with Oasis Church’s long-standing practice, the new space will be available free of charge to community groups whose missions align with the church’s values. Over the years, the church has hosted everything from weddings and funerals to the annual CAPS yard sale. Szymanski said the expanded auditorium will also help fill a local need for medium-sized event spaces.
The project also helps solve another problem for the growing congregation: parking. Oasis services have drawn larger crowds in recent years, often forcing worshippers to park along the street. With the bowling alley purchase, the church gained an additional 130 parking spaces.
Szymanski said his ideal timeline would see the renovation finished by Easter 2027, but he admits that summer 2028 is a more realistic target. His long-term vision includes possibly expanding the church’s outreach to include a day care or even a school in the future.
To help fund the project, Oasis Community Church will launch a fundraising drive on Oct. 19 with a special goal: raising $150,000 in a single Sunday service. Donations can also be made online at oasiscma.org/giving by designating contributions to the “Teen Center” fund.
“We’re going to give the community back something better than what we’re taking away,” Szymanski said.
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