“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.” — Jordan Easley
Most leaders have a vision that allows them to see things for how they
could be, not restricted to how it is or how it has been done. This building
isn’t the first we’ve built. And when you serve at other places with
current buildings, it allows you to learn what does and doesn’t work, and
how design fits within, or helps to engage, the community.
Ashcraft: Right. In the purest sense, anything that takes away from your
core mission as a church is irrelevant.
Woody: Yes; the building needs to send a congruent message. The
spaces inside that building, as well as the materials, the contextual
setting — they all need to be reflective and support the ministry that
happens there.
If you preach all day long about being a highly friendly, relational
church that regularly gathers as a church family, but you have no
space on campus where that can actually happen, then your building
is a barrier.
Ashcraft: As [Woody] likes to say, it’s all about encouraging people to
come early and stay late.
Merriott: We weren't going for ‘cutting edge’ or ‘traditional’ church look.
We're in one of the most diverse communities in the country, so we
need something that allows flexibility and transcends any single culture.
From the beginning, we set out to have something that was simply warm
and authentic.
In places designed for worship, teaching and activities, we're focusing
on technology and infrastructure for future technology so that we can be
more agile and responsive to new approaches and tools. We're planning
on fewer permanent elements and more dynamic elements.
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. He designed us for relationships, and
we want our facilities to reflect that.
Binkley: Regarding ‘relevancy,’ we hoped our new church building
would meet all our current needs, as well as serve as a multifunctional
space for other ministry events and meetings. The design accomplishes
everything we need it to do, whether it’s hosting a small gathering, a
men’s or women’s group meeting, or a dinner banquet.
We also wanted to the church to be as practical as possible, since it’s a
Phase 1 project. In the future, as we grow, we plan to add an additional,
larger sanctuary that fits alongside our current building. At that time,
our current sanctuary will be a chapel, overflow space, traditional
worship area, and youth and young adults event center.
We’ve really relied on HH Architects to tell us what would work for
church family and within our budget. They gave us more than we asked
for and helped us think through functional spaces to get the most use
from our building.
Are there ways in which a church’s design can “broadcast” relevancy, even
to passersby?
Easley: Relevancy has been an integral part of our church’s design
objective from the first conception. We would never want to invest into
buildings that aren’t helpful in reaching lost people, since that’s our goal.
Binkley: At our church, when someone drives into the parking lot, they
want to come in because they see our large, full-height windows that
allow passersby to see into our worship center (sanctuary). The windows
on either side of the worship center connect Create to the community
and the community to Create on a Sunday morning.
And when they do come in, the inviting atmosphere is even better.
We’re grateful for the help in designing this space to help us reach the
North Dallas community.
Ashcraft: Exterior lighting, landscaping, use of materials, and how the
building sits on site all play into conveying relevancy ‘from afar.’ When
someone visits your church, the beginning of their experience isn’t when
they pass through the doors; it's as they approach your campus and when
they arrive onsite. What do they see? Where do they park? Is the entry front-
and-center or a football field away? How do they know where to go? Is it easy to
get out or a convoluted mess of four rights and then a left?
It’s the little things that set the bigger experience in motion.
Woody: Right; the experience begins at the street. So, if your
building looks old, tired, dated and unattractive to the average
passerby, they’re going to assume it’s a reflection of the ministry
happening inside those walls.
We all know that a church isn’t its facilities; it’s the people inside. Your
buildings should accurately reflect your people and your ministry.
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
CHURCH EXECUTIVE.COM | 23