Circlewood Baptist Church Tuscaloosa, Alabama
By: Jennifer Walker-Journey

As Circlewood Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, approached its 50th anniversary at the turn of the century, it began to feel growing pains. Its modest-sized sanctuary had been built 30 years earlier, joined by an education/activity building in the mid-80s. Renovations were made as needed, but it was clear the church would have to expand to meet the growing needs of its congregation.

"The Lord blessed us," said the Rev. Dr. Herb Thomas, senior pastor. "The older sanctuary, well, we just filled her up."

The church hired Church Design Concepts from Eagleville, Tennessee.

"It was a typical situation of the church growing and needing to expand," said Rick Thurman, company president. "Often, you see churches that make the same mistakes over and over again. They add on and on without realizing their growth potential, and over time, their buildings begin to look like patchwork quilts."

Church Design Concepts had developed a four-stage process covering a project's conception through completion with the goal of stopping such "patchwork" construction issues before they begin. The process includes:

* Conceptual design
* Construction management
* Architectural design
* General contracting.

"When we work on a master plan, we take the church's vision out as far as they can see - 10, 20, even 30 years down the road," Thurman said. "We do it in the context of where they want to be in the future. It can literally save millions in the long run."

And, it can eliminate building structures that the church outgrows in a matter of a few months or years.

The firm works with each client to determine what specific services are needed, Thurman said. Founder Jerry Branum handled Circlewood's project. He has since passed away, but the company continues on in the same spirit.

To ensure the needs of the church would be met and the expenses kept at a minimum, church members formed a committee consisting of individuals who were either retired and had time available, or who had vast experience with building projects.

The committee identified the need for a larger sanctuary that not only would accommodate the current congregation, but one that would also provide space for future growth. Once complete, the older sanctuary could be used by the youth department. In order to accommodate the expansion, Circlewood had to purchase neighboring property and houses.

Working with a company that streamlined the design-build process, Circlewood was able to keep its expenses down. The committee also chose to work directly with the subcontractors, opting to pay them directly.

"Our men stayed with the building. Having them involved really helped," Thomas said.

Two years and nine months later, Circlewood dedicated its new worship center. The new sanctuary seats more than 1,000 people, with a 40-seat choir loft. A music suite offers plenty of room for rehearsals.

With its new space, the church has continued to grow with a congregation of nearly 1,700 members. More staff has been added as well, according to Thomas.

Last April, Circlewood was able to retire the debt from the construction of the new worship center, which is paving the way for more opportunity, Thomas said.

Church Design Concepts has handled the complete church planning, designing and building process for churches for more than 30 years, www.churchdesignconcepts.com.

Fast Facts

Church: Circlewood Baptist Church

Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Congregation Size: 1,650 members

Project Goal: Build a larger worship center to accommodate a growing congregation

Size: 24,000 square feet

Cost: $2.3 million

Challenge: The church wanted to have an active presence in the designing and building process.

Solution: A committee of church members who were knowledgeable about the construction process was formed to work with the design-build team and handle all financial operations.