In recent posts, we’ve been talking about the importance of creating a clear and compelling church vision for ministry. We’ve also given you some tips for focusing that vision effectively.
But, how does this approach look in the real world?
To that end, we’d like to share some examples of how we have worked with church leaders to transform their church design to match the vision they have for ministry in their community.
The Rebirth of Bridgetown Church of Christ
Nowadays, things change quickly in our culture, and this can become difficult for churches to navigate. For example, Bridgetown Church was thriving in the 1960s and 70s—which is when the church building you see here was constructed. The style of architecture clearly represents that time period.
However, in the past half-century the church has gone through a “life cycle” of birth, growth, maturation, and decline. As a result, Bridgetown’s church leaders looked to a new church vision to help them find a way to start the cycle anew.
Bridgetown’s New Church Vision
As we’ve discussed, it’s important to develop a vision that’s not just about “me” and the status quo, one that looks beyond the church building walls to see what the community needs.
Bridgetown’s leaders took the time to look outward, and what they found was that there were many younger families in their community. They responded by hiring younger staff and focusing on the needs of those younger families and couples.
Renovating the Church Building to Match the Vision
It quickly became clear to Bridgetown’s church leaders that their building was hindering the fulfillment of their new vision. The view of the building from the street was not appealing to young families, and inside the church, as you can see, the foyers were small, dark, and uninviting.
We worked with Bridgetown’s leaders to create an entrance that was open, bright, and airy, while also providing plenty of room for people to move around and gather in small groups for conversation. We also expanded and upgraded the restrooms to meet the needs of young families and transformed the “Air-Pots on a table” coffee area into a dedicated and inviting café space that doesn’t take up much room.
With these renovations to its church building, Bridgetown Church of Christ was able to encourage guests to stick around and talk with members. The welcoming modern façade and comfortable foyer allow people to connect, build relationships, and exchange ideas. In this
way, Bridgetown Church has been able to reach younger couples and families, fulfilling its vision for ministry.
More Church Design Inspiration to Come
In our next post, we will share more church vision success stories. If you find these helpful, we hope you will also consider registering (on our home page) for one or more of our free i3 webinars, where we share other ways that church buildings can support your church’s vision of reaching your community.