Bay Area Community Church started in 1987 with only a handful of worshippers.  Within months, more people were showing up each week at a local school to participate in the contemporary services. The church rented space at a local college for several years, as attendance and ministries continued to grow. Then, the church met at a local high school—all the while planning and praying for the right opportunity to build its own facility.
  
It was important to church leaders that the new facility, first of all, was inviting to the community—a place where people would feel welcome. They didn’t want the building to look like a church, since traditional churches can be intimidating to those not accustomed to attending. 
   
They wanted the building to reflect the church’s mission and vision and have a design that was unique to their particular needs. No red-brick, Georgian-style plans need apply.  The idea was to use architecture to reinforce the church’s message. Waldon Studio Architects and Planners, PC was selected to make the vision a reality.
 
A water theme was chosen, largely based on the great throne room scene from Revelation, Chapter 4. In verse 4, John notes how he sees before the throne of Jesus a sea as clear as crystal. With the church’s location on the Chesapeake Bay, in an area known throughout the world as a sailing community, the theme seemed like a perfect way to draw the community to Christ, the “living water.”
   
In keeping with the water theme and John’s vision of a sea of glass, it made sense that glass would be a major design element.
  
“The people are the church—not the building itself,” noted Ravi Waldon, president of the Waldon firm. “A glassy transparence allows people to look through the building and see the people.”
  
Even from a distance, the church’s curved, blue roof is a landmark. 

“A tower sticks up (actually the elevator shaft) like a sail, signifying the journey to life,” said Waldon. “As you approach, the sand-colored blacktop leads into blue carpet.”
  
The church’s exterior consists of a blue glass storefront surrounded by commercial-grade, split-faced concrete masonry. Once inside, the second floor balcony forms a serpentine wave over the concourse. The wave rolling overhead is a reminder of Habbakuk’s analogy of the glory and knowledge of God being like water rushing over believers.
  
The concourse is a main gathering area for the church, with the Bay Café at the end. It’s a place to grab a cup of coffee and talk with friends or take advantage of the wireless Internet capability offered. Plans are to use this area for small concerts, lectures and seminars. Bold, bright colors are used throughout the café area, which features commercial-grade materials for durability. The café opens to an outdoor seating area, as well.
  
The multi-purpose worship facility is what the church calls a “sancitnasium.” It’s a large, gymnasium-type space with a wood-front stage and storage area for the 800 chairs that fill the space on Sunday mornings. As many as 1,200 people could fit into the space, which will serve as the main worship area until a new sanctuary is built in a later phase.  Then, the current area will serve as the main gymnasium. Two additional rooms outside the multi-purpose area can be used by nursing mothers or parents with crying children.
    
With the contemporary worship style practiced by the church, high-tech multi-media components play a major role in the weekly services. These were incorporated into the design of the worship center, adding approximately $15 per square foot to the cost of the design. In fact, every room in the facility is Internet ready.
  
A pre-school wing has classrooms for children up to age five, including an open area where all children can worship together. The elementary wing serves children from first through fifth grade, including a separate worship area where all children can come together. This area also houses “Something Special,” the church’s ministry for children with special needs. 
  
For adults, there are eight classrooms, as well as a meeting room that can be divided into two spaces, if needed. A fireside room is also part of the design. Administrative offices provide office space for staff and volunteers working on various ministries.
  
For churches considering a building project, Waldon suggested they determine a clear sense of what they are and who they are trying to reach before beginning the design process. 
  
“A building can be a tool for ministry,” he said. “Don’t go into the process with pre-conceived notions of how a church should look. Working with a Christian architect, you can use the design of the building to communicate the vision of the ministry.”

Waldon Studio Architects & Planners, www.waldonstudio.com, designs projects for church ministries that creatively express the church’s own vision for ministry. WSA has been involved in many religious projects, assisting in site analysis, master plan, vision definition, and all aspects of the design and construction process. 

In a Nutshell

Church: Bay Area Community Church
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Membership: Approximately 1,800
Project: Build a new facility for this existing church, which had been meeting in a local high school.  First phase includes multi-purpose worship space, classrooms and administrative offices.  Plans for second and third phases are underway.
Size: 53,000 square feet for first phase
Cost: $7 million
Challenge: Design a building that was unique to this particular church, reflecting its mission and ideals through the construction. The church wanted a building that was welcoming to the community, without a “churchy” feel.
Solution: A water theme was chosen, based on the Apostle John’s vision of the sea of glass and the throne room of heaven, along with the vision of Habbakuk of the glory of the knowledge of God—like water rushing over. A water and wave theme is apparent throughout the project, which also ties in with the church’s location on the Chesapeake Bay.