When we talk about “meeting current expectations” with church design, what
are we saying? What are those expectations?
Leading
or
lagging?
Architects, pastors discuss what
makes church design relevant &
appealing to current expectations
Woody: Meeting current expectations means your building is
consistently reflective of the culture you've developed at your church.
When design is intentional, the more successful the building will be in
serving its purpose and meeting its expectations.
Easley: At First Baptist Cleveland, we’re all about being intentional in
everything, so that a person who’s not yet engaged feels welcomed and
intrigued, here. This starts with the communication they receive and
the parking lot experience, with a friendly greeting and clear signage. It
also includes people strategically placed in common areas to welcome
and engage those who come through the doors. Within the age groups, it
means using volunteers to connect and answer any questions as we work
to create awesome environments that are both friendly and safe.
Merriott: For Cross City Church, understanding expectations comes
from listening and experiencing. From the beginning of this project,
we've relied on a team of staff and members to help direct design.
Binkley: At Create Church, we believe a church building should be a
place that helps create spaces for community and fellowship, as well as
for worship. That said, we wanted our church to be welcome and inviting
to everyone by giving them a comfortable feel with plenty of open spaces
and natural lighting.
Ashcraft: Meeting current expectations means your design is
community-focused — both the community-at-large, as well as within
the church family. Your space can help or hinder that effort. You must be
purposeful with your intentions and execution. It’s born of your DNA.
There’s no ‘silver bullet’ solution.
Bruce Woody
President & CEO
HH Architects
(Dallas, Texas)
Jordan Easley
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Cleveland
(Cleveland, Tenn.)
20
Mark Ashcraft
Creative Director
HH Architects
Melanie Hanna
Sr. Interior Designer
HH Architects
CHURCH EXECUTIVE | JAN / FEB 2020
Ryan Binkley
Senior Pastor
Create Church
(Richardson, Texas)
Josh Merriott
Pastor of
Communication
and Technology
Cross City Church
(Euless, Texas)
How does the need for more thoughtful facility design typically arise at
a church?
Woody: Generally, if facilities no longer speak to the culture of the
church — nor do they adequately facilitate the ministries that have
developed over the years — it’s often the members and even guests who
make it known.
If the building is lacking in family-friendly spaces, or if facilities
appear dated, then, for many, the church design isn’t reflective of
relevant expectations.
Merriott: Yes; at our church, it's been the result of hearing from our
people. Many had suggestions for how we could improve our campus
and shared their thoughts about what would make us more appealing,
accessible and guest-friendly.
Our project involves demolishing an existing building, replacing it
with a new building focused on children and students, and unifying
buildings with a commons area to help guests and members connect.
We've just begun construction drawings, and we'll start fundraising
early this year. Once we meet our fundraising commitment goal, we'll
proceed, hoping to complete the building in early 2022.
One of our most significant issues was the guest experience. A guest
had the potential to make four different, distant stops to drop off their
children — including a separate building for students that requires
a shuttle bus to cross a busy, four-lane street. It's crucial that we're all
excited to bring guests with us, and child check-in is just one of the
factors that had become a deterrent.
But, as we considered this and other issues, we realized that we
needed to do so much more than solve problems — we needed to seize
the opportunity. We began to see the potential for our campus, the