The steeple on the roof of a church is much like an exclamation mark in a statement about that building. Seen from a distance, your steeple lets onlookers know they are approaching a church. They are a graceful and attractive finish to the look of your building. Certainly the steeple has an impact on those passing by.
    
Now and then we are asked to come and repair or replace or even to set a new steeple for different churches. Our crew has gotten a lot of experience by now. One church we went to for repair on an older metal steeple nearly 100 feet at the spire top told a story. It seems a woman one day drove along the nearby main highway in despair, planning to take her life. Looking over to the side of the road she saw the tall steeple and thought, “Beneath that steeple is a church.  Perhaps they can help me.” It seems she drove in, found the help she needed and made lasting contacts at the church. The people in the office called it “the church beneath the steeple.”
    
In considering a steeple, if your building does not have one, there are a lot of choices today. There are several companies that offer a variety of spires, cupolas and bases.  These come in more than one material. While many of the earlier churches were built with a wooden base and steeple with it set on an area to the front or side that had the single purpose of supporting the steeple, today it is more common to see the steeple at the peak of the main roof. This being the case, weight is a primary factor. The steeple will weigh anywhere from 250 pounds to more than 2500 pounds.
    
A good rule of thumb is that the steeple height should be 75 to 100 percent in feet as the distance from ground level to the roof peak. For a balanced look, you will consider the width of your roof as you choose the base of your steeple. With each of the companies, they will give the height and the weight of the steeple.  It will be important to plan on the support for your steeple, as they are exposed to the elements and the wind will push and pull them. Along with each steeple comes an instruction sheet for safely securing it to the roof.
    
When we are putting up a steel building, we let the fabricators of the building know there will be a steeple, where it will set, and the approximate weight.  That way, extra support is included from the start of the project.  If you are building a new facility, be sure to ask your builder if steps are taken to make sure there is sufficient support for your steeple. At the time of installation, further support is usually installed by using long steel rods of all-thread to secure it to the roof with no movement. Next, it will need to be trimmed and sealed to keep rain or snow out. It is important to take precaution against any leaks.
    
A steeple can be ordered made of fiberglass, as many are. These models are made by using an existing mold and make a good value for your money. You can ask for special additions to your steeple, such as cutouts of a cross on the four sides of the base of your steeple. A light can be installed inside the steeple; the base can have krinkleglass windows installed in a variety of colors.  Each company will have a design team to work with your church to get the right design for your building.  Fiberglass is a durable, easily maintained material and very popular today.  Crosses are available for the top, with gold or silver balls for under the cross.  These are, of course, available for whichever material you choose.
    
Another material widely used is aluminum. This material may be more sturdy in strong wind conditions and is very comparable in price to the fiberglass. A variety of colors are available, though white remains the most popular color. With aluminum, a special design is more possible with the design team. Yet another choice is the translucent spire, which will glow throughout when the light is on at night.  It is very striking on a high roof.
    
Along with your steeple and base and cross for the top is the lightening rod protection. It will be installed inside your steeple, and instructions for grounding will be included. You will give the dimensions of the roof and the distance to the ground for the cable length.  Your design team at the company you have chosen will instruct you as to what is needed.
    
In considering which steeple will best suit the needs of your church, in order to decide which material to use and what design is best for your church, consider your building style. Is yours a modern, crisp type of building?  Is your building more traditional, even colonial? How about the other buildings in the area? Are you in an historic part of town preserving a feeling of historical significance? Are most of the buildings around the church built of similar materials in similar design?

By taking photos of some area buildings, the team working with you on your steeple can help your church to be a good fit. With a variety of bases and cupolas to choose from on which to set your spire, you can design just the right arrangement for your needs. Take into account the size of your building, the area and style of your neighborhood, your budget, and your ideal look you seek in a steeple. >From modern, to gothic, to colonial, to rounded dome type, to a special design, there are steeples that can work for you.

When the steeple arrives help is needed to unload it. Be sure you have a capable crew for the lifting and installation. Very often, a lift will be used to raise your steeple, and this will require trained technicians.    
    
As a church builder, it is always a noteworthy moment the day the steeple is set on the roof. Usually, we plan to set the steeple at the finish of the roof while the steel erectors are still there with their equipment, as they can easily get to the roof and are knowledgeable in securing the system safely. The crane slowly lifts the graceful spire into the air and raises it to the peak to set in its place. On a pretty day it looks beautiful against the blue sky. Now, this looks like a church!

A steeple is a thing of beauty set atop a building set apart from the other buildings for a good purpose. 

Leslie Jordan is the owner of Jim Jordan Building Churches, www.jimjordanbuildingchurches.com.

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Product Roundup

Schulmerich Bell Towers and Cupolas
Whether combined with an electronic carillon, a clock, a cross, a cast bell or a bell shell, a Schulmerich tower will become a key part of any church’s identity.  Schulmerich offers seven standard models and can customize a freestanding tower to suit any congregation's traditions and iconography. Towers arrive pre-assembled and ready for installation, and they’re built to last. A Schulmerich cupola provides an elegant and affordable way to enclose a carillon’s speakers while adding an aesthetic enhancement to a church building. Three distinctive designs and five stock colors are available, and each can be accented with a decorative weather vane, a finial or a cross. Cupolas can be customized to fit almost any roof structure. 
www.SchulmerichBells.com

Munns Manufacturing, Inc.
Munns Manufacturing, Inc. has been in the prefabricated aluminum steeple and cupola business since 1989.  The business has grown to include the manufacture and installation of not only steeples and cupolas, but also domes, towers, pinnacles and spires. The company also is a dealer for weathervanes, bells and clocks. With hundreds of customers in virtually every state, including Hawaii and Alaska, and also in Canada and countries overseas, Munns has built and installed beautiful structures for churches, universities, governments, businesses and residences. In addition to aluminum, the company also specializes in working in copper, lead-coated copper, micro-zinc or other exterior claddings. 
www.munnsmfg.com

American Steeples & Baptistries, Inc.
American Steeples & Baptistries, Inc. produces steeples made of durable fiberglass and polyester gelcoat with a UV-inhibitor to provide a lasting finish that will not deteriorate, fade or rust.  A 10-year warranty comes standard with every steeple. The company offers a variety of sizes, shapes and styles at prices to fit any budget. Each steeple is built to order by experienced craftsmen, ensuring attention to detail and excellent workmanship.  Various accessories, including louvers, crosses, krinklglas, decorative panels and lighting, are available. American Steeples & Baptistries representatives can assist churches in choosing the right steeple. Delivery and installation are available.
www.americansteeples.com

Little Giant
Little Giant fiberglass steeples offer the beauty of a porcelain-like finish and come in a wide variety of designs. The strength and light weight of fiberglass makes the steeples a good choice for new church construction or for adding to an existing structure. Each of the steeples is made to order. A wide variety of custom options are available, including spire crosses, vented louvers, railings, krinkle glass and decorative urns. Each steeple is available in a variety of colors as well. 
www.little-giant.com

Van Bergen
Van Bergen can design, build and install a custom bell tower complete with bronze bells or digital bells for any church. The company provides a traditional masonry structure as well as more modern steel structures. Honoring loved ones with a beautiful bell tower and bells is a permanent gift that will last for generations. Van Bergen will provide architectural renderings, followed by detailed working drawings for approvals prior to manufacturing and completion. The van Bergen Company has worked with thousands of churches during their 200 years of service. 
www.vanbergen.com

Campbellsville Industries
Campbellsville Industries offers a free design service to churches planning a new steeple. Simply forward them a photograph of your church along with dimensions of the width of the church, and they will provide a scaled computer-generated architectural rendering of the church, showing suitable steeple designs. This service does not obligate the church in any way whatsoever. Should the church select one of their designs and decide to purchase, one of their trained manufacturer’s representatives can come to the church and do a personal inspection of the roof structure and facilities. Campbellsville Industries also offers a full range of stock steeple and cupola designs that are taken from traditional period architecture and blend with most church buildings. Stock steeple designs offer some savings to the church, as the steeple shop drawings and anchoring details are stored on Campbellsville’s computer CAD system, which eliminates the cost in design and drafting.
www.cvilleindustries.com

Superior Fiberglass
Superior Fiberglass offers high-quality baptistries, steeples, cupolas and wall crosses available to the church industry today. Serving architects, builders and churches for a quarter of a century, they provide a broad range of styles and colors to meet every church’s needs for creative architecture. Their products feature a hard, smooth, porcelain-like surface that eliminates the need for painting or refinishing. They invite you to request samples or ask for a custom color matching.
www.superiorfiberglass.com