FIVE decades ago a group of people came up with a way of giving young people in Motherwell something constructive to do, while also teaching them about Christianity.
The Maranatha Centre was the result — and now it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The Maranatha, which is now in Glencairn Street, was the brainchild of Wallace Kirkland and some close friends.
Wallace, a self-described 'rascal' when he was younger, was brought up in a Christian family but sought a different path and joined the navy.
When he returned to Motherwell from his travels he found that many young people were being taken to church every Sunday but had nothing else to do during the week.
After discussions with his friends in 1956, they decided to put their money together and bought the original Maranatha Centre, in Hope Street, for £750.
They came up with the name Maranatha having read it in the Bible. It was a form of greeting and is referred to in Corinthians 1:16.
Wallace and his friends felt this warm greeting would be an ideal name for a centre looking to attract local young people away from the dangers they could face on the street.
Wallace said: "Having spent time away with the navy, when I returned to Motherwell I saw a lot of young people were being expected to go to church by their parents, even if they did not enjoy it.
"There was nothing else for them to do during the week. After speaking with some friends, we felt we could give the young people an alternative to walking the streets by opening the Maranatha Centre.
"This way they can receive the teachings of Christianity in a warm and friendly environment. We wanted to deliver the message in a way they could relate to, and it was successful with hundreds of local young people attending weekly."
He added: "In 1967 we moved to our present location and we have not looked back since.
"We have around 250 young people aged between 15 and 25 coming through our doors weekly, and we provide them with everything, including a dance hall and a pool table.
"There is also a quiet room in the centre where we can have one to one discussions with any young people who want to speak to us about issues concerning them.
"Many parents don't know what their children are up to when they leave the house in the evenings, but through the Maranatha Centre, which has always been a Christian youth organisation, we can give those parents peace of mind and the confidence their children are being looked after."
Wallace described one of the many highlights of his time in charge of the Maranatha Centre when he spoke about the centre having both youth and senior choirs.
Around 40 children and 60 adults travelled up and down Scotland and the north of England, singing songs of praise and they even performed on television shows and made their own albums and tapes.
The success of the Maranatha Centre goes on but Wallace has no intention of resting on his laurels. He said: "There is still so much to do and I am so proud of what has been done and excited about what the future holds."

Celebration night on Friday
THE Maranatha Centre celebrates its 50 years of working with young people in Lanarkshire on Friday night with an event in Motherwell Concert Hall. A programme to suit the occasion has been planned and it will be chaired by the centre's first full-time worker John Carrick. Well known convention speaker Liam Goligher, who came to faith as a youngster through the ministry of Maranatha, has agreed to speak while soloists Jane Gallan and Alasdair Morris will perform with accompaniment from pianist Esther McColl. There will also be a Powerpoint presentation covering the past 50 years. The event starts at 7pm and tickets costing £10 are available from Isobel Barr on 747486 (home) or 275663 (centre). They can also be purchased from the GLO Bookshop in Hope Street, Motherwell.