church case study
Our church case studies offer real life solutions to churches. Religious Product News’s case studies cover topics about church building, church sound, church acoustics, technology in churches today, as well as many other church related issues. Read these church case studies and get pertinent info for your church!
Focusing on What Churches Do Best with LiveControl’s Remote Production Crew in the Cloud
While stay-at-home orders have decreased physical attendance at churches over the past year, live streaming has given churches the opportunity to reach a much wider viewership. John Volinsky, campus pastor at Bayside Church in California, spoke to this opportunity and said that “most people that come to Bayside actually first watched our services online.”
Christ Presbyterian Church
For nearly three decades, Christ Presbyterian Church in Carlsbad, California, worshiped in a fellowship hall with dreams of one day building a sanctuary. Rather than building new, domusstudio architecture teamed with the committee to remodel the existing fellowship hall into a beautiful worship space that still meets the needs of a multi-purpose space used for
Extending Worship Beyond the Church Walls
Founded in 1976 and nestled in Denton, Texas, Denton Bible Church is a non-denominational church that averaged 4,000 congregants each Sunday across its three services. As the demand for digital content and streaming grew and the need for quality video for the church increased, Denton Bible Church sought to replace its outdated camera system
Trinity Episcopal Church
The inclusive nature of the Trinity Episcopal Church congregation in Marble Falls, Texas, is exemplified by openness, informality, and connectedness to the surrounding community and the rural setting in the heart of the Hill Country. The desire to reinforce these qualities formed the core of the congregation’s mission as they began the process of building a
Amazing Renovations!
Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, needed to make a change. They had completed a ground-up, extensive $27 million campus in 2004, the largest Methodist church building project in the United States. However, church leadership still felt that their congregation was too scattered. At the time, Asbury served a multigenerational congregation with 8,000
A Church Remodel to Serve a Multi-Generational Congregation
Although church attendance has been down due to the pandemic, churches and businesses are still investing in projects of all kinds. Ridgecrest Baptist Church chose to do this project to help reach more and more people of all demographics. While it is helping them during the pandemic, it will also continue to help them
Chapel of St. Joseph at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
In the late 1980s, a grassroots effort of immigrants established The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois, and a decade later, it was officially declared a sister site to the Basilica in Mexico City. Located on a 122-acre campus shared with Maryville Academy, owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago, The
Crossway Church
Following the visionary leadership of the pastoral staff at Crossway Church, TONO Architects developed a facility master planning strategy carefully stewarding the church’s property near Millersville, Pennsylvania. Situated on 76 acres of rolling farmland, the plan conceives of a village of worship, educational, gathering and administrative building components echoing the historic agricultural use of
Crystal-Clear Audio via Wi-Fi with Listen EVERYWHERE
With 350 to 400 congregants, Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina, is part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. About 60 percent of its members are ages 50 and older, and 30 percent are younger families. The tech-savvy church has a long history of live-streaming its worship services every week—even before COVID-19. Problem When
Crosswater Church
Crosswater Church in Nocatee, Florida, had been worshiping in a 600-seat auditorium constructed as Phase 1 of a multi-phased project. Crosswater Church recently partnered with LIVE Design Group to design the next phase of their facility. The primary feature of the project, opened in June 2020, is a 1,200-seat Worship Center with stadium seating
Community West Church
When Community West Church in Richmond, Virginia, made the decision to design and build a new space, they turned to John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” (The Message). Community West Church didn’t want to create merely a space for people to get away from the world to
Crisis Spurs Traders Point Christian Church to Be Catalyst in Community
Crisis has a way of causing us to reflect deeply on the things in life that we hold dear to our hearts. In many instances, crisis reveals that some of the things we’ve been holding on to perhaps weren’t really that important, and the aspects of life we relegated to the corner were actually
GT Church Upgrades Live Streaming Equipment and Processes
GT Church, a multisite church with two locations in Pennsylvania, recently enlisted Adorama Business Solutions — a premier technology resource for corporate, educational, and government institutions — to upgrade its production equipment and processes to enable High Definition (HD) live streaming and recorded broadcasts of its services. Eager to make dynamic, engaging, and artful
Copper Creek Church
Copper Creek Church started in 2007 as a satellite campus of First Presbyterian Church in Champaign, Illinois. After 5 years, they felt led to establish the satellite campus as a new church plant. And on September 9, 2012, Copper Creek Church was officially commissioned as a new church. So often, those in ministry experience
Huge LED Retrofit at Olive Baptist Church
In 2019, Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, made the decision to upgrade both their stage and house lighting systems in their main sanctuary, a huge undertaking that meant replacing over 600 lighting fixtures. “We decided to replace every tungsten light that illuminated in the room with an LED fixture,” said Bobby Taylor, tech
Grace Church
The National Association of Church Design Builders recently awarded ATURA Architecture the Industry Award for Innovation for its design of the Grace Church Fellowship Hall Addition. With this annual award, NACDB recognizes ATURA for excellence and the highest level of quality in its design and services in the category of Innovation. The project known
New Streaming Capabilities Enhance Virtual Weekend Services at Grace Polaris Church
Since 1964, Grace Polaris Church in Columbus, Ohio, has seen a rapid increase in their congregation from a group of 30 to now serving over 2,000 members. As Grace Polaris’ congregation continued to grow, their need for a new worship center increased, and in 2018, they started construction on a new space. They turned
Lake City Community Church
In Lakewood, Washington, The Lake City Community Church family places great value on worshiping God with our lives, serving one another through community and discipleship, and serving others in the world as Jesus served us. In an effort to support their mission of advancing God’s Kingdom by making fully devoted followers of Christ in
City Road Chapel Extends Their Focus on Quality to Their Playground
By Eric Torrey City Road Chapel United Methodist Church in Madison, Tennessee, started with the building of a house of worship in 1848. The church moved to a new location in 1872. After that building burned down in 1899, a new church was built at the present site. Since then, the church has continued
Foothills Church
Foothills Church exists to develop mature disciples of Christ in relational environments. The church was planted in 2009, and today, it is one of the fastest-growing churches in East Tennessee. The church hosts approximately 2,000 people weekly at its two Sunday morning worship experiences at its campus in Maryville, Tennessee. Maryville-based commercial construction firm
Grace Church Enlightens Services with New High Brightness LCD Projector
Grace Church in Bainbridge, Georgia, is a non-denominational community church and home to a weekly congregation of more than 200 people. Mitch Hines, worship & children’s pastor, has been part of the Grace Church community for eight years and works to help the church provide a worship service that is fun, enjoyable and community
Centerburg Free Will Baptist Church
When Centerburg Free Will Baptist Church in Centerburg, Ohio, decided to build a new worship facility, the goal was not only to meet immediate needs for more space, but also to support future growth. Located in the village of Centerburg, Ohio, in the geographical center of the state, the church was established in 1952.
Crown Design Group and Absen Create Inspirational Sanctuary Environment for Action Church
As one of the fastest growing churches in the United States, Action Church has become a community fixture in local Orlando areas, including Oviedo, Sanford and Winter Garden. Most recently, Action Church expanded its reach when it opened its newest location in Winter Park, Florida, as its first large, non-mobile location. “We exist here
Creating a Balanced and Colorful Worship Design
Dedicated to creating a welcoming and authentic relationship with their congregation, Bannockburn Church is a sanctuary filled with encouragement and bonded through a common faith. Located near Austin, Texas, the church recently made the decision to renovate their outdated production design behind the worship environment, and they needed a partner to make the design
First Baptist Church of Jacksonville
Atlanta architecture firm CDH Partners designed a new church for First Baptist Church of Jacksonville that provides everything the congregation needs to fulfill their ministries, invite new members and adapt for growth. In 2016, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, was looking to expand their outreach to the greater metro area. Nocatee, a planned
First Baptist Church of Jacksonville Achieves Seamless Interoperability
In order to achieve a flexible tally communication between its legacy and new production equipment, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, recently integrated TSL Products’ TallyMan control system into its control room upgrade. With four distinct campuses across the city, FBC JAX was specifically looking for a means of integrating a new Ross Ultrix
City Church
A relatively new church (founded in 2013), City Church is deeply committed to bringing spiritual, social, and cultural renewal to the city of Evansville, Indiana. The church discovered an appropriate home in a former church facility in downtown Evansville, with Champlin Architecture providing design services to renovate this large structure to suit the nondenominational
AmpliVox Helps Illinois Church Overcome Acoustic Challenges
Today, churches are increasingly built with acoustics in mind, to address the acoustic challenges associated with larger and more complex structures featuring high angular ceilings, tall blank walls, large windows, decorative architectural features, and significant variations in size from one room to another. And, in addition to the challenges of the church structure, today’s religious
West County Christian Church
West County Christian Church in Chesterfield, Missouri, is a large religious and educational complex that The Korte Company designed and built. They master planned the facility to eventually contain up to 50,000 square feet. The overall site provides parking for more than 400 cars and contains visitor parking, an entry drop-off area, a playground, and
Danley Delivers at Immanuel Nashville
Immanuel Nashville is a 10-year-old church on the west side of the famous music city, and its rapid growth recently inspired a move to a bigger, 1,000-seat sanctuary. Although its services are rooted in a traditional approach, Immanuel Nashville also stages a full band and blends its traditional hymns with more contemporary music. After making
St. Michael’s Catholic Church
The new, 34,500-square-foot St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Louisville, Kentucky, expresses the welcoming, inclusive nature of the parish community through the use of materials and forms that reflect the campus’s natural surroundings, express a strong spiritual procession, and celebrate the parish’s patron saint. The building stands on axis with the approaching road, furthering the mission
Why 15 Techs at Elevation Church Went “All In” with Their Headsets
Charlotte-based Elevation Church now has 19 campuses around North Carolina, all with very high production values. Each of the locations has its own worship band, and services are streamed from Elevation’s broadcast location to its satellite locations and the Internet during worship experiences each weekend. About four years ago, one of the technical volunteers at
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is an architectural landmark in the Highland Park neighborhood. PCL Construction worked collaboratively with church representatives and the design team to expand the original 1950s colonial church with an 18,000-square foot-addition that complements the original design. The addition includes a series of new classrooms, a vaulted fellowship
C3 Church Upgrades Audio with the Assistance of Morris Integration
Like most of the music world, C3 Church in Clayton, North Carolina, wanted to leave analog behind and enter the digital realm. It was clear to Troy Payne, production manager at C3 Church, there was no better guide than Morris Integration, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, to make this happen seamlessly and within budget. “C3’s aging
Hermosa Church of Christ
Hermosa Church of Christ in Artesia, New Mexico, was looking for architects that would be able to communicate the church’s vision to the congregation and the community. Busting at the seams with a multi-generational congregation, the current location and facilities were no longer able to meet the ministry needs of the church. Halo Architects went
Texas Church Gets Top-Quality Sound
When Grace Bible Church in La Vernia, Texas, planned a complex renovation that took two years to complete, Jack Saenz, installation manager of BP Lighting, Sound and Video (BP), was brought in by Rock River Media to design a sound system that would fit within their budget but exceed their expectations. Saenz suggested a rig
Easter Lutheran Church
Eagan, Minnesota Easter Lutheran Church in Eagan, Minnesota, recently worked with Langer Construction to remodel both of their locations. Easter by the Lake At “The Lake,” a 2,500-square-foot Lakeside Commons meeting room, large teen room, and offices were added, while remodeling the greeting desk for full-time staff. The project also included a new licensed commercial
Getting Versatile with Lighting
Theaters of one kind or another have long played a role in the growth of Christ Community Church in St. Charles, Illinois. Just before Christmas 1984, the suburban Chicago church, which was founded by four couples, held its first service in a rented movie theater. Christ Community has since grown into a thriving four-campus house
Community Christian Church
Naperville, Illinois Since 1997, Community Christian Church has relentlessly pursued its mission of helping people find their way back to God. They do this by focusing on REACHING people who are currently far from God, RESTORING this world back to God’s dream, and REPRODUCING this mission in the lives of others. Over time though, it
Elevation Baptist Church
This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue. By Jennifer Walker-Journey Fanning Howey is an architecture, engineering, and design firm with office locations across the country. The firm’s work spans the nation and it often partners with local design firms to bring its unique services to communities large and small, www.fhai.com. To say
An eGiving Success Story: St. Mary’s Church
The preferences and behaviors of churchgoers are constantly changing. Vanco Payment Solutions’ 2017 Churchgoers Giving Study proved that when it was released late last year. Vanco places a high value on research to understand churches’ eGiving needs, and how they are succeeding with eGiving tools, www.vancopayments.com. In addition to the Churchgoers Giving Study, Vanco regularly
Holy Infant Parish
As their congregational family grew, Holy Infant Parish in Manchester, Pennsylvania, found itself on the easternmost portion of its parish boundary. While their existing two-story church and education building had served their congregational needs well, the parish was faced with aging buildings that were not fully accessible and geographically limited their ability to serve their
Cross Lutheran Church
By Emily Matchey Cross Lutheran Church of Roberts, Wisconsin, held a dedication service on Sunday, December 17, 2017, for a renovation and new addition to their facility. This celebration was fantastic and meaningful for many, particularly for architect Tim Peterson of Peterson Design Studio and Bill Derrick of Derrick Building Solutions. Cross Lutheran worked with
St. Peter the Apostle Church
St. Peter the Apostle Church in Louisville, Kentucky, is a new congregation formed by the merger of five southwest Jefferson County parishes—St. Clement, St. Polycarp, Our Lady of Consolation, Our Lady Help of Christians, and St. Timothy. JRA Architects was selected to provide master planning and design services for the new 1,200-seat church, religious education
Crosspointe Church
By Gino Beltran Nearly 100 years ago, churches were rarely just a Sunday house of worship – they were known for building hospitals, schools, universities, community centers and more that served their surrounding neighborhoods. At Visioneering, we’ve been honored to partner with many churches over the years who desire to bring some of that history
Immanuel Presbyterian Church
Founded in 1837, Immanuel Presbyterian Church is the oldest congregation in the city of Milwaukee. The present church was constructed in 1873 and features Gothic style architecture. In 1958, the congregation expanded its footprint by constructing a detached two-story building, which for many years served as an education space for its youth. This separate structure,
Bridgetown Church of Christ
Bridgetown Church of Christ in Cincinnati, Ohio, had several design issues and ministry needs. They needed to update their exterior and interior for a better overall first impression. As you walked into the church, the lobby was cramped, dark, and had a low ceiling. The flow of the building was very poor. Upstairs, the church
The Orchard Evangelical Free Church
As part of fulfilling their calling as a church, The Orchard launched four new sites between 2010—2017 from the original Arlington Heights, Illinois, campus. To thrive in this next chapter of their story, the church’s leadership recognized that it needed the Arlington Heights campus to be a vibrant, growing, sending campus—the center of an expanding
First Christian Church
Decatur, Illinois When Aspen Group began to partner with First Christian Church Decatur to address their facility needs, it became clear that limited sanctuary seating had begun to impede the church’s ability to comfortably accommodate new attendees. Additionally, the church’s youth and children’s space lacked the kind of functionality and design that creates a safe,
Appleton Alliance Church
Appleton, Wisconsin Churches often have preconceptions about what their space needs, perhaps without understanding the impact space can have on the experience and performance of the environment. Architects, particularly those who are experienced working with faith organizations, can be a tremendous partner for the future positioning of the church, not just by the end result
South Euclid United Church of Christ
South Euclid United Church of Christ began in 1845 in Cleveland, Ohio, with the original stone church being built in 1867. Tragically, lightning struck the church in 2010 and burned to the ground, leaving only a massive carved lintel and bell remaining. In 2012, the church bought a Catholic church and school campus that was
Village Christian Church
Village Christian Church Minooka, Illinois This 20,000-square-foot facility was designed to be a warm, inviting and multi-purpose space. The exterior features brick, cement board siding and trim, textured insulated metal wall panel, metal trims, stone, and a large volume of glass. There is a large, back-lit, rough sawn cedar cross adjacent to the entrance. A
Meade Emmanuel Mennonite Church
Fuqua Construction Inc., Inman, Kansas, was recently awarded the 2016 NACDB Honor Award for Projects Less Than $1,000,000 for a church project in Meade, Kansas. Fuqua Construction Inc. is a construction company specializing in church construction. When Max Fuqua began his business in 1979, the scope of the work was residential and commercial. In 1984,