Spotlight Editorial Forum: COMMUNITY-FOCUSED CHURCH DESIGN
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh
In spirit, churches have long embraced their communities, of course. But in recent years, their physical presence— their facilities— reflect a big( and growing) focus on community-friendliness.
Why are churches prioritizing this objective more than ever? And what does community-focused church design look like, anyway?
We asked a seasoned church builder / former pastor to walk us through it.
Rodney C. James Founder and President Master’ s Plan Church Design & Construction
Church Executive: As a church building professional, what does‘ communityfocused’ design mean to you?
Rodney C. James: I was at a church in Maryland yesterday for their first visioning meeting, and this was a big topic. The way I see it— and this church agrees— there are two schools of thought regarding community-focused design. First, there’ s creating community inside the church. We want our people to feel like they’ re connected, like they’ re a part of the body. But there’ s also a school of thought around creating spaces that are inviting and that serve the needs of the community as a whole— thinking about the outside community. This requires spaces that are welcoming not only on weekends but also comfortable, safe and inviting all week long. Maybe it’ s opening a food pantry or providing counseling programs that offer marital or financial guidance. On the non-ministry side, it might involve hosting civic groups looking for a place to meet.
Overall, it’ s about creating spaces that are intentionally accessible and available to the community.
CE: Why is it crucial for a church to be community-focused in this day and age?
James: Given all that’ s happening in our world right now, people are seeking truth more than ever before. That’ s creating an opportunity for the Church to be inviting, to create spaces designed for seekers and the people who are already with us. A church building should never be a place for only‘ our’ people to meet; we must be intentional about creating spaces where people feel comfortable stepping through the doors whether or not they’ re church members. It can be as simple as providing a place to sit down and have a conversation, because your church is always open, and the lobby is always available. Or maybe your church has a great outdoor space where anyone can meet. Our spaces should say,‘ Hey, we have an open-door policy. We want your groups to come and use our facility.’ It’ s a real need in our communities.
CE: Has the term‘ community-focused church design’ evolved over the years?
James: If you look at the way churches were designed two, three decades ago versus how they’ re designed today, we’ re so much more intentional about being open, being visible. Related to that, outdoor space is the new front door. Maybe it’ s informal outdoor seating, or the café extends into an outdoor space and is available outside of Sunday mornings. Church designs are using much more glass now, so people aren’ t walking through the doors not knowing what to expect. We’ re trying to lower the anxiety of taking that step. Our church environments should say: Welcome. We’ re a community, and we want you to be a part of it. You’ ll find connectedness and comfort here. Outdoor space is a great opportunity to do this, since it leads everyone to the front door. We didn’ t see churches creating these kinds of spaces 30 years ago.
20 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | NOV / DEC 2025