It’s the season of Advent, and Bayside Community Church is getting taller. The church, located across from WG High School on the corner of Cottle & Dry Creek (Clark), is building a new steeple, complete with a prominent cross on top.

It turns out that cell phone provider Sprint-Nextel is building a new cell tower at the same location. Concidence? Not really. The new cell tower is inside the new steeple, hiding its bulky electronic equipment behind the fiberglass facade. Pastor Mike Thorburn sees it as a win-win situation.

Elders in the church have long wanted to add a proper steeple to the top of the contemporary church, and they approached Sprint-Nextel with the idea. The cell phone provider is picking up the tab for the new tower … er, steeple … and the church looks great with the architectural upgrade. Building has been delayed slightly by a structural redesign, and last week’s windy weather provided some excitement for the construction crew. But the project is nearly complete.

The church, known for its family programs and strong commitment to youth, also has its own weblog with a variety of pictures (including a few showing the progress of the steeple). Of course, the community is invited to come see the excitement on any Sunday … and you can bring your cell phone, provided you turn the ringer off for worship services ;-).