Building Experience
Like it or not, buildings have personality. Churches are no exception.

LIKE IT OR NOT, buildings have personality. Churches are no exception. In their own unique way, they convey (sometimes SHOUT) a little something about those who inhabit them. The architecture, décor, amenities, fabrics and even room arrangement give an indication about the function of the building, as well as the people who influenced those details.

The iconic church is one with stained-glass windows, wooden pews, an altar, choir loft and a steeple that serves as a beacon to the surrounding community to announce, “People worship here.” However, in the world of megachurches that serve not only as Sunday gathering sites but as education buildings, ministry centers, event hosts and conference venues, there is an enormous challenge to capture the ambience of a church, inspire a worshipful mindset, adequately communicate the “feel” of the church, and still function practically as a massive facility.

Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas, is currently experiencing the challenges of expanding its facilities and ministry capabilities, while trying to keep the DNA of the congregation intact. Going from a 1,200-seat, multiuse auditorium, to a 3,500-seat theater-style sanctuary, the church broke ground in March 2006 and anticipates being able to move into its new facilities by January 2008. Immediately after the new sanctuary and fellowship area open, the existing sanctuary will undergo massive renovation to become an expansion of the children’s ministry facilities. That phase is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

The issues addressed in Bent Tree’s building campaign fall into two camps – structural and interpersonal. The church had to make decisions about whether to purchase a new parcel of land or build on the existing property. Once church leadership made the decision to build an addition to the current structure, determinations had to be made about the number of people expected to attend, how the building is currently used – and could potentially be used. Not only are new administrative offices, a stage and backstage facilities, auditorium seating with a raked floor, high-end multimedia capabilities, and a huge fellowship area being added, but also a sports facility comprised of two full-size basketball courts.

The interpersonal elements come into play when church administrators and planners have to determine how to mentally and emotionally transition members from four identical Sunday services (9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 5 p.m. and 6:30 pm) down to two morning services. It is more than a matter of informing people of the schedule change. For instance, it entails the recommitment and reallocation of volunteers for every single ministry. One of the biggest concerns is that the church maintain and even improve upon conveying a friendly and personable atmosphere in all aspects, particularly with potentially 7,000 people moving through its doors on any given Sunday.

The planning extends beyond the church walls to the surrounding community and how it will be affected by the expansion. An example is something as basic as service times, which have not yet been determined for the two morning services. One factor is the nearby megachurches – one of which is behemoth Prestonwood Baptist Church, with a membership of more than 20,000. Not only is facility traffic flow a concern, but also the impact on local restaurants. There is great potential of creating such a traffic nightmare that those businesses will actually be hobbled by church attendance instead of benefiting from it.

These are but a few of the issues that a church deals with when taking on a major expansion project. In the process, Bent Tree Bible Fellowship is learning that not only does the building convey a personality, but so does the building process.