"In commons and lobby areas, we're designing spaces that encourage people to
connect. We believe that's increasingly important, and part of God's original plan for
the church." — Josh Merriott
Woody: Generally, we’re wanting to provide easily accessible
environments, both visually and physically. We want the building
to be intuitive. We want to provide a building that isn’t a barrier or a
hindrance in any way, but instead a welcoming spot in the community.
Ashcraft: And the hardest thing with all of this, relatively speaking,
is to take yourself out of the equation when examining relevancy of
your space. People who’ve been attending a church for any extended
length of time might think everything is perfect as-is, because they’re
insulated from the expectations around them through their history
with the church.
But, to the person you’re trying to bring into the fold, they don’t have
the benefit of those connections and can only experience what your
space currently has to offer.
In what ways can church design meet current expectations from the outside in?
Woody: Over the past few decades, we’ve seen a lot more focus on
outdoor fellowship spaces for all age groups, with attractive landscaping,
water features — places where people can mingle and gather, just like
they enjoy their backyards at home.
Hanna: You're also starting to see community hub spaces at the church
where people can go and do their work. Think of what local coffee shops
offer — convenient, friendly working spaces. It’s meeting a need.
Woody: Right. These really are viewed as amenities to the community.
Easley: At our church, clear signage is critical. Also, the people in
the parking lot aren’t just attendants; they’re greeters. Music plays
from outdoor speakers creating an environment of worship as soon as
someone steps on our campus. All of this creates a positive experience
from the outside in.
Binkley: Our church fronts a major highway in the city, and a large,
curved, 30-foot-high wall of glass graces the front of the building. In the
foyer area, this allows people to see cars passing by and helps bring the
community inside the church building.
Merriott: One of our areas of focus was the person driving past our
church. First of all, HH designed the northwest corner of the building with
a modern look and a striking large church logo that will catch the eye of
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the busy street in front of us. This is also directly across the street from
a high school, and we hope to attract many students to our new student
facility. The student outdoor space will also be visible from the school.
What are the ministry benefits of thoughtful church design that meets
current expectations?
Easley: At our church, members are excited about the new phase of
construction. And when you teach them the ‘why’ behind all you do as
a church, they become the best salespeople of the vision — because they
see it for what it could be, instead of just for what it is.
Seeker-friendly design and vision involves more of the ‘saints doing
the work of the ministry,’ as Scripture commands. It allows your church
members to take ownership in the vision instead of just being spectators.
Binkley: Everyone seems to love our new church building and
appreciates the warm, friendly environment. And that’s really what we
wanted to do: make everyone feel welcome and comfortable here.
The coffee and fellowship area is just a great place to visit and for
small group gatherings to meet. During the week, volunteers and staff
work there often.
Our children’s spaces are secure, with private bathrooms in each
children’s wing. This way, families that need child care can worship
knowing their children are in a safe, protected space.
Merriott: We've heard positive feedback and excitement from our
members so far. We built a vision room to tell the story and show the
heart of the project, and support has been overwhelming.
With our new design, we've been considering how our facilities can
be a ministry hub in our community. We hope to use our new facility to
connect people throughout the week. Some of the expectations involve a
place to get coffee and a place for kids to play. We're designing with this
in mind, and we're researching how we can maximize opportunities
during the week while ensuring sustainability.
“Relevancy” is often referred to in church leadership — but what does it mean
from a design perspective?
Easley: With our project, it’s been all about relevancy for a
purpose — not relevancy to be cool or impressive. For us, relevancy
is all about reaching people; therefore, it’s vital for our design to be
relevant to the culture we live in.