churches
Read about real churches going through real changes and growth. See how they worked through everyday issues and what worked and didn’t’ work for their house of worship. From issues of contemporary to traditional differences, to creating a welcoming atmosphere, to needing a larger space for worshiping- you can find case studies and articles in Religious Product News that can tell you how other churches got through it.
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
Pulpit Rock Church
Creating a welcoming, comfortable and intimate atmosphere is a priority in churches today. This is causing many churches to undertake a renovation. Pulpit Rock Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, commissioned Mountain West Architects to renovate their existing sanctuary auditorium and expand key areas. The auditorium is broken up between two levels. The main level has
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
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
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
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
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
Veterans Parkway Church of Christ
Murfreesboro, Tennessee Veterans Parkway Church of Christ was busting at its seams. Church leaders found they were in dire need of more space, so they called in Dow Smith Company to help develop a master plan and design charrette for a new church campus. From that two-day planning session, Dow Smith developed and presented a
Brick Lane Community Church
Elverson, Pennsylvania Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, Pennsylvania, recently built a large addition onto their existing facility and underwent an exterior renovation. The project called for siding on more than half of the exterior walls – but the building team at Stoltzfus Enterprises had not fully committed to one particular type yet. Brick Lane
St. Thomas More Parish
Appleton, Wisconsin St. Thomas More Parish in Appleton, Wisconsin, selected Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction to handle various worship space enhancements and renovations to their church in preparation for their 50th anniversary. The interior remodeling and addition were deemed necessary to accommodate liturgical and spiritual diocesan directives, as well as resolve the practical needs of
Churches & the Rising Trend of Cremation
By Gerardo G. Garcia Cremation is becoming more prevalent than a traditional burial. The latest industry studies show cremation is on the rise and is rising steadily. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) News Releases, statistically, in 2015, the rate of cremation was at 48.5 percent and will quickly be rising to 56
Hebron Baptist Church
Hebron Baptist Church has occupied their 32-acre campus in Dacula, Georgia since 1844. As the northeast Atlanta suburb flourished and young families sought a place to worship, the church experienced exponential congregational growth. While thrilled to be a center of spiritual expansion, the church found that their facilities required improvements and new facilities to better
Broadway United Methodist Church Upgrades to Martin Audio
CCI Solutions recently completed an audio-video-lighting renovation for Broadway United Methodist Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that included a complement of Martin Audio CDD-LIVE speakers and CSX-LIVE subwoofers. Duke DeJong, vice president of sales and integration for CCI, describes the space as “a more traditional sanctuary that exists in addition to a larger, more contemporary
Church of the Resurrection
Church of the Resurrection of Lakeland, Florida, is an active parish within a diverse community. Serving more than 2,000 families in its congregation with 50+ ministries, the church is a bustling place every day of the week. In order to better serve its growing congregation, church leadership set out to build a new, larger facility.
Southbrook Church
Southbrook Church is part of a network of Christian-based churches serving the metro-Milwaukee area. Situated on 20+ acres of land in Franklin, Wisconsin, Southbrook is an active and growing community. A few years ago, the church elders began looking at expanding their current facility to accommodate its population, which had grown from 225 to 850
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
Artiste DaVinci Has What It Takes at Oklahoma's Guts Church
Guts Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is not your average house of worship. Founding pastor Bill Scheer, who has an affinity for leather and motorcycles, started the ministry in 1992 for people who don’t necessarily like church. Since then, the church has steadily grown to encompass three campuses, and today is one of Tulsa’s largest congregations.
Midland Bible Church
The vision of Midland Bible Church in Midland, Texas, as “a family of faith lived out in the world” was hampered by old, inefficient and inflexible facilities. At a key moment, the church’s leadership realized that the only way to remain relevant and effective in ministry in the future was to make a bold move
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
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
Brightmoor Christian Church
Located in Novi, Michigan, along M-5 highway, Brightmoor Christian Church wanted to highlight their presence to those passing by. The old building was traditional brick with small windows and little to no visibility into the building’s interior. “People driving by thought we were just a school, or worse, an office building,” said Gary Jonna, chairperson
Trinity Evanglical Congregational Church
The beautiful Trinity Evangelical Congregational Church in Lititz, Pennsylvania, built in 1874, is a historic gem. Since that time, two additions have been made to the church to accommodate growth—one in 1936 and the second in 1970. As the congregation grew and the church’s needs continued to expand, it again became time to address some
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kronborg, Nebraska, has been through some terrifying weather in its 118-year history. After straight-line winds and large hail struck the church, parsonage and fellowship hall in 2014, the congregation went in search of new siding, windows and roofing. “Danish churches like ours are known for our red and white
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
Oilman's Church Gets Solar
With over 100 years of history, Brea Congregational United Church of Christ has steadily grown built on strong ties to the community. As a self-stated Green Church, Brea Congregational UCC commits to “embrace the responsibility of achieving a sustainable earth” by taking “tangible steps such as adopting a holistic approach for our garden space to
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,
How Do You Describe Your Church?
This article originally appeared in the May 2006 issue. By Lyle E. Schaller For more than four decades, Lyle E. Schaller has served as a parish consultant to hundreds of congregations and scores of denominational agencies. His recent books include From Geography to Affinity, The Ice Cube Is Melting, and A Mainline Turnaround. “I
