CRANBERRY TWP — The addition of a huge new sanctuary is the culmination of 20 years of work by a local pastor and his wife.

Grand opening ceremonies for the 2,400-seat auditorium-like sanctuary added to Victory Family Church on Route 19 will be June 8 and 9.

Rev. John Nuzzo, head pastor at Victory, said the new facility will be used mainly as the church’s sanctuary for its Saturday evening and Sunday morning worship services. The former sanctuary will be converted to a youth center.

Nuzzo said $9 million of the $14 million project was raised through donations from church members. The church borrowed the remainder. The church sees about 2,800 people attending worship services each week.

When not being used for worship services, the spacious sanctuary will host programs that support the church’s ministry. Nuzzo said a marriage ministry with a national focus has been scheduled for this fall. He said other events could include a national men’s or women’s conference.

Nuzzo said he hopes to use the sanctuary for programs that support the community and local school districts as well.

“We certainly would want to do that to benefit the community,” Nuzzo said.

He said only family-friendly, community or school district programs will be held in the new facility.

Nuzzo said the sanctuary also could be used as a gathering place in the event of a community tragedy or for any reason that would render aid to the public.

The completion of the facility also will balance out the church as a whole, Nuzzo said, as much of the current church’s square footage is used for children’s ministries or activities.

Nuzzo explained the church focuses heavily on ministering to the entire family, and that includes children. He said the current sanctuary seats 1,000, but much more of the space at the church is occupied by children’s and youth-centered programs and activities.

“We do a massive amount of focus on children and youth,” he said.

The new sanctuary balances that important focus by providing a large adult space on the church campus.

“But of course our focus remains on the entire family,” Nuzzo said.

Nuzzo and his wife, Michelle, started the church, then known as Victory Christian Fellowship, 20 years ago at a local movie theater in Cranberry Township with just a few members. As the congregation grew, the church moved to various venues and buildings before buying land and building a large church on Route 19 in 2006.

“I’ve had a Bible in one hand and a hammer in the other since we started,” Nuzzo said. “Now the new generation won’t have to do that. They can just use it for the church’s mission.”

“I am greatly anticipating the opening of our new facility to better serve and reach out to our community,” said Michelle Nuzzo.

Nuzzo said he feels the church’s membership has exploded over the years because of its focus on a human being’s day-to-day walk with God.

Programs that have been offered at Victory include marriage, parenting and financial seminars, as well as grief and divorce counseling and addiction recovery.

“Our focus is how to apply God’s word to everyday life,” Nuzzo said.

Regarding further development at the church’s Route 19 campus, Nuzzo said the largest projects are complete with the advent of the new addition.

He said a youth center will likely be added to the east side of the church building and additional spaces could be added to the sanctuary in the future.

That space, Nuzzo said, would be in the form of meeting rooms, and not more worship space.

More information is available at www.lifeatvictory.com.