Almost upon us, 2019 is expected to be a year of changes that will reshape--or at least refine-- houses of worship. Designers agree that the worship space should serve the church as an expression of its brand while becoming an engaging tool for its mission.
1-Multisite movement continues to flourish. The multisite movement is stronger than ever, notes David Evans, president of Kansas City, Mo.-based architectural firm Mantel Teter. “The movement’s next chapter will be to start or acquire campuses to reach and minister to residents of specific communities. Many demographics will influence these choices and a church’s ministry skill sets. This could be churches or other retail/big box properties that will be renovated for church and community uses.”
2-Rebranding.“Now more than ever, churches are expanding their outreach by branding themselves as all-purpose community centers,” says James Theimer, principal architect for Trilogy in Redding, Calif. Food previously provided after worship services becomes an everyday café for people to mingle and network, integrated housing is created for the "built-in" worshipper, and sanctuaries translate into "experience centers," he notes. “As outreach grows stronger, churches offer a unique opportunity to brand themselves as ‘safe zones’ where multi-generational users can attend, confident that the content is family-friendly. Daycare, libraries and even retail are beginning to insert themselves into faith-based campuses,” Theimer adds.
