By Tom Greenwood

Reversing decades of trends, churches are reclaiming cities around the world and rethinking buildings in the process. From the 1970s through the 90s, the suburbs were the hotbed for church growth and both new church plants and older urban congregations hurried to claim large tracts of property on the leading fringes of new development to “escape” the inner cities. But churches are turning back to the cities, back to the downtowns and urban neighborhoods with missional zeal.

“For us — we made the decision to remain in the center of our city,” says Dennis Wiles, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Arlington, TX. “We are across the street from City Hall and sandwiched in between it and a thriving university. Our decision to remain in this setting is connected to our sense of heritage and stewardship for this congregation, founded in 1871.”

Inner city planting

Other churches are purposely planting in the inner cities. Fellowship Church, which first sprang up in the suburbs of DFW, has created downtown campuses in both Dallas and Fort Worth as a strategic plan to reach the wave of new urbanites moving back into those cities. In both places, Fellowship Church took existing office/warehouse buildings and created a place for thousands of city dwellers to connect with Christ.

Growing and building a church in an urban area brings a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. The Beck Group, a national architectural and construction firm, has encountered these challenges in a variety of situations, from those like Fellowship Church to historic congregations who are reimagining their aging campuses such as First Baptist Dallas.

Some of the best design lessons for the new urban church, interestingly, have come from designing churches in South Korea. In cities like Seoul, where the population density is four times greater than New York City, churches have learned to build and thrive in very confined spaces.

“Due to less land and municipal requirements for higher density restrictions on development, churches in Korea seem to be better at doing more with less” says Michael Kaiser, a lead designer with Beck. One amazing example is SaRang Church in Seoul, where we are designing a new campus for 30,000 persons on 1.7 acres, or roughly one city block. These are some of the bigger discoveries in planning buildings for the urban church.

Conventional church planning requires one acre of land for every 150-200 persons, due to parking requirements and zoning ordinances in most communities. In contrast, zoning in most business districts or dense urban areas requires comparatively little on-site parking. For churches’ parking needs, urban areas often have parking garages or commercial lots virtually unused on weekends or evenings. Public transportation can also be plentiful in urban locales, and the renewed interest in downtown housing make neighborhoods easily walkable.

Fellowship Church’s location in downtown Dallas provides space for 1,500 persons per worship hour with only two acres of land. This is possible because of several negotiated agreements for shared parking and an efficient three-story, 43,000-square-foot building.

The flow of the building

In function and appearance, the typical church building model is turned “on its head” or vertically in many urban locations. The experience of people using the buildings, from adults to children, is much different as they must flow up and down between multiple floor levels. This need for large amounts of vertical circulation is more akin to a sports area or civic center, where ample stairs, elevators and even escalators may be needed. Providing way-finding or visual queues in the buildings helps orient people as to where and how to move, which can be a challenge in a multistory campus.

Organizationally, worship rooms may actually go on upper floors, with children’s education spaces below. Street-level floors are valuable for more public-oriented spaces such as bookstores, cafés or gathering areas. Finding the right floor level and mix of spaces is unique in each case and can have a huge impact on the overall functionality of the campus.

To reach the city, one has to engage the city. Older church architecture in cities can tend to be heavy and fortress-like, but urban churches today want to communicate welcome and transparency. That means creating plazas, glass buildings, fountains and other spaces that invite the public.

By leveraging their facilities, churches can help fill a need that most public-sector urban revitalization plans can’t provide. In a time where so many cities are trying to revitalize their older downtowns as livable, sustainable communities, churches can add another layer (albeit a spiritual one), to this idea of mixed-use development.

While churches today struggle to bring “community” to the church, urban churches can bring the church to the community. First Baptist Church of Arlington has seen the tangible benefits of a community building approach in their ministry. The church was a forerunner in developing urban ministries to such as Mission Arlington, a child development center, community recreation classes and counseling services, which use their facilities on weekdays.

Active members

“Staff members in our church are actively involved as civic leaders serving on boards and committees within our downtown community. We have a positive relationship with our city, chamber of commerce, and UTA (University of Texas at Arlington)” says Terry Bertrand, First Baptist Arlington’s business administrator. The church has also been invited as a key contributor to new master plans developed by the City of Arlington and UTA (adjacent to the church’s property).

When the church undertook its own master planning and expansion plans, its community involvement opened opportunities for several key property exchanges and shared use agreements with the city and university. Additional benefits gained include weekend access to a 1,000-car parking garage (at no cost), the ability to close streets and connect major portions of the church’s property, and a new $4 million city park and outdoor concert pavilion literally on the church’s front door step.

Perhaps the idea of the urban church is not something new, but rather rediscovering something essential to our Christian mission. Wiles sees it this way: “When you drive through Arlington’s downtown, you see the centers of government and civic life, you see the banks and businesses that represent the center of commerce for our community, and you see the steeple and buildings of the First Baptist Church. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is just as relevant for this community in the 21st century as it was for Rome, Corinth and Antioch in the 1st century.”

Tom Greenwood is a principal and leader in the Church Services group at Beck Group, Dallas, TX. 
 www.beckgroup.com

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Planning: when ‘type A’ churchmen do a ‘fix’

Timothy L. Cool has assisted many churches with their facilities planning as president of Cool Solutions Group in Charlotte, NC., where he is a member of megachurch Elevation Church, and was part of the startup of Next Level Church in the same city. He has put his years of experience into a book, Successful Masterplanning: More than Pretty Pictures (iUniverse Inc., 2010). He responded to a few questions from Church Executive.

How does planning differ from master planning?

When I refer to master planning we are taking it one step further and adding in a futuristic component. Master planning is not unique to just property and facilities, but to other endeavors such as growing a company, a congregation and the like. In this instance, we are looking at the long-term development of real property based on our current understanding of the “facts” and vision that God has given us.

Where do values and vision come into master planning?

Vision is the heart beat of any master planning process. If there is no vision, then why plan; just keep on doing what you’re doing. If your ministry has a vision that is supported by values, an understanding of your unique DNA and target market, then you have the foundation from which to develop a master plan for your church — not the church down the street or across the country. Each ministry, and thus master plan, is as unique as our physical DNA and needs to be addressed as such.

What are common mistakes that churches make in planning for their futures, whether for construction and facilities, or for programming and mission?

The most common issues we have seen is they immediately want to “fix” the problem. The majority of church leaders are Type A males with a propensity to fixing things. So that carries over to their leadership at the church and during discussion about facilities.

We are out of kids’ space — build a new wing. Well, what if there are other issues associated with being out of kids’ space? Is this an indicator that you are attracting more young families? Could the socio-economic make-up of the church be shifting? Are you currently using the entire campus to its highest and best use? Is there a “programming” strategy incorporated that would take the pressure off the physical space?  Stop; take the time to ask the right questions.

What are the common issues churches have for managing growth and organization challenges?

If you can understand your DNA and your target market, then your space can be planned accordingly. I have helped my church in the last two building projects. We know that we do not want a venue larger that about 900 seats with just enough ancillary space to accommodate the children’s program that supports worship.

We plan to be multi-site – no doubt about that – it is our unique calling for this region. Knowing this early in the master planning process helped us to design the structures to fit us, our vision and our ministry. We did not need to design a 5,000 seat worship center or have a plethora of adult education classrooms. You need to define who you are, and let that define your physical plant.

You write that the master planning process is “the foundation of any expansion program.” Can you explain further?

Have you ever been to a church campus and wonder why the most austere structure is in the most prominent position of the campus? I have seen this hundreds of time and it is general because they built their first phase in the easiest (or least expensive) place to start with without much thought of the future. That is a prime example of the physical ramification of not having a master plan.  www.CoolSolutionsGroup.com

By Reagan Hillier

Remember the anticipation and excitement of entering your first amusement park? “I’m going to Disneyland!” sparks the imagination for young and old in ways that “I’m going to the DMV!” never will. This excitement is what amusement parks strive to deliver upon every visit, and this doesn’t happen by accident.

The goal for amusement parks is to attract guests and increase attendance. Year after year they explore creative approaches and new strategies to bring in visitors. As a result, the amusement industry has had to be on the cutting edge.

Churches have something in common with the amusement industry: Both are relentless in the search for ways to attract people. Amusement parks do it to make money while the church does it to build its ministry and spread its teachings. Here are four successful strategies from the amusement industry that can be integrated into the church to maximize the ministry.

1. Family-centered

Today more than ever, the general marketplace is focused on families.

Baby changing stations in restrooms, kid’s menus in restaurants, themed carts in grocery stores and play areas in malls have all become necessity. This focus makes a family feel valued and want to frequent the location more often.

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This is certainly the approach of Six Flags, as they engineer a shift from a teen-dominated park to a family-friendly park. Six Flags now considers the family market central to its comeback, recording all- time high guest satisfaction scores while introducing rides and themed areas for younger children based on popular franchises like “Thomas the Tank Engine” and “The Wiggles.”

“We’ve got to jump into family waters,” says Mark Shapiro, chief executive officer, Six Flags. “Family is an added opportunity for us to expand our business.”

What is being done at your church to jump into the family waters?

Scheduling a family worship service is a great start. If the budget is available, transform the children’s area into a themed play environment or add a café to make your facility a gathering spot for families all week. “Providing kid-friendly themed spaces and play attractions are some of the best ways to show families that you care about their kids,” says Todd Schulte, vice president, Worlds of Wow, Argyle, TX. “It’s not just decoration, it’s a ministry tool.”

2. Intentional play

Have you ever sat down on a park bench, closed your eyes and listened to the sounds of children playing? You hear boys and girls laughing, shouting and running. Turns out there are science and health benefits behind this as well.

Through play, children develop valuable skills and knowledge including social skills (negotiating with peers), language (developing verbal and nonverbal skills), literacy (interacting with reading materials), as well as math and science (interacting with blocks, puzzles and toy vehicles).

The amusement industry is on the leading edge of integrating new forms of play into its facilities in support of intentional play. Today, technology is an integral part of most children’s lives and a medium through which they access entertainment and play. Technology, like radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, touch screen panels and interactive blasters are integrated to make the play experience more than just fun and games. Through this integration, facilities keep children entertained while promoting the development of problem- solving and communication skills as well as physical fitness.

What can this mean for local churches?

“Interaction needs to be fostered in the children’s department,” says Johathan Barnard, family pastor at The Rock, Castle Rock, CO. “Many kids do not naturally talk and connect, so you must be intentional with them. It is very important that kids connect with other kids at church. The best way that I have found to build this connection is through our play area.”

3.  Agritainment and natural play

Across the country, farm-based family festivals have grown so quickly and become so prevalent, a name has been created to describe them: agritainment.

This trend started many years ago with a pumpkin patch and hayrides. The popularity grew, so farmers began adding more attractions like corn mazes, petting zoos, haunted barns and snacks like smoked turkey legs. At a time when profit margins for crops have been slashed razor thin by rising costs, “you have to consider Agritainment,” says Kay Hollabaugh, president of the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association.

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Complementary to Agritainment is the Natural Play concept — incorporating natural elements such as gardens, trees, rocks, boulders and sand into play environments. Research has found that these natural elements make the play area more inviting to children and families, develops imaginative and social skills while encouraging physical activity.

4. Custom design

As the bar is constantly being raised for play attractions, amusement parks have had to become more creative in order to compete. To succeed, the new family entertainment center has to exceed the other facility across town, and they aren’t going to do this by ordering a one-of-a-kind attraction from a catalog. They achieve success by working with vendors and consultants that design custom attractions specifically suited to their needs and market.

Custom designed play areas allow churches to present its messages to children, act as an outreach tool and open the door to questions about the church and their faith.

Spring Baptist Church in Spring, TX, has created a loving, learning environment for the children, allowing them to develop an understanding of the importance of church. “The play area is already making an impact,” says Mark Harrison, associate pastor.

Church leaders can find ways to increase their ministry by analyzing successes other industries have had in reaching people.

Reagan Hillier is the president of Worlds of Wow, Argyle, TX.
[ www.worldsofwow.com ] and president of Faith Based Amusement Association. [ www.fbaa.tv ]

By Bill Yeadon

Day care or child care facilities are a mainstay of many churches and church-supported schools. The benefits of these facilities to parents are innumerable, including the assurance that their children are in a safe, nurturing environment under the care of supportive, qualified adults.

However, when a mother picks up her crawling baby from a church day-care or child care facility and notices soiled areas on the knees of the baby’s outfit, the positives can quickly shift to negatives. This happens every day in child care facilities — and to be fair, homes — across the country as a direct result of a poorly cleaned carpet. Considering that the soils and pollutants trapped in the carpet can include mold spores, fungi, weed killer, and animal fecal matter, in addition to clay, sand, leaves, and grass clippings, concerns can escalate.

Carpet has benefits

Carpet is the ideal surface for day care or child-care facilities with several benefits. It provides a comfortable environment for children and gives the room an overall warm feeling. The soft texture provides a measure of safety for inevitable tumbles. The sound deadening quality is a benefit to those adults and teachers who spend time in the company of many laughing, crying, highly vocal children. In colder climates or seasons, carpet retains warm air longer, an energy conservation benefit. It also absorbs spilled milk, juices, and other liquids quickly, preventing slips and falls.

The fact that carpet can hide soil well is both a strength and a weakness. Even when carpet looks clean, it requires a regular, well-designed maintenance program. Such a program requires five essential steps.

Step 1: Exterior maintenance. A maintenance program begins outside the building. Parking lots and entry ways should be cleaned and maintained. If a tree at the entryway has seasonal purple berries, those purple berries eventually will create purple stains on the carpet.

Step 2: Interior/exterior matting. The best defense is a good exterior and interior matting program. An ideal indoor mat allows pedestrians to take five steps before hitting another surface. These mats need their own maintenance
schedule.

Step 3: Daily vacuuming with high efficiency vacuum and bags. Insoluble soils make up almost 80 percent of the total carpet soil load. These types of soils are best removed by daily vacuuming using a high efficiency vacuum. Consumers can find a list of tested and approved vacuums at www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/cleaning-and-maintenance/seal-of-approval-products/vacuums.cfm.

The best type of vacuum uses high efficiency bags which can trap soil particles down to one micron or one millionth of a meter. This is important because the smaller the soil particle, the deeper it penetrates into our lungs. Inefficient bags allow these respirable particles to flow through the bag and enter the breathing zone. The best vacuum bags will state that they trap particles down to one micron in size.

Most insoluble soils are comprised of tiny particles that stay airborne for long periods and continually settle on all surfaces. This is why child-care facilities may need to be vacuumed even when no one has been in the room for several days.

Step 4: Prompt removal of spots. Drinks, foods, and body fluids need to be attended to immediately and cannot be removed by vacuuming. A small, one-gallon extractor can minimize many types of spills quickly and effectively. Most of these spots can be flushed with water, preventing residual soiling from chemical spotters.

Step 5: Periodic hot water extraction. Vacuuming and spotting address the majority of carpet maintenance needs, but every carpet needs a periodic deep cleaning. This is best performed using hot water extraction. This is the generic term for steam cleaning and is the most popular method for professional cleaners. Hot water extraction sprays a cleaning solution into the carpet and then extracts it, flushing the most soil. Small extractors can be rented for use by church maintenance staffs at hardware or grocery stores.

Proper drying of the carpet after hot water extraction is critical. Normally the carpet should dry in four to eight hours. It is very important that fans or the heating or cooling system are left running following hot water extraction. Lack of airflow during the cleaning process can result in a musty smell. If the carpet in a day care center is cleaned at the end of the day, it should be dry in the morning.

Extending Carpet Life

The sandy grit that is tracked on carpet causes scratches and abrasions on the carpet fiber, causing permanent damage that gives carpet a dingy, soiled appearance. The best way to avoid these microscopic scratches — and extend the life of the carpet — is to vacuum the carpet daily and a remove spots in a timely fashion.

By Tom Greenwood

Inspiration for innovation can come from unexpected places. For a South Korean congregation, the spark for innovation was fueled by leading American churches’ missional architecture.

Shinkwang Church is a Presbyterian congregation of 8,000 worshipers each week, located in Iksan City. When the church had outgrown its property, a delegation from the congregation visited the U.S. to tour facilities of leading congregations. The goal was to discover how facilities could augment ministry and mission.

In late 2008, the congregation opened its new campus, designed by The Beck Group. The functions of worship, children and youth ministries are familiar, but the design solutions were anything but typical. The 500,000-square-foot facility features a 2,500-seat sanctuary, 300-seat chapel, multipurpose gym and wellness center, children and youth centers, cafeteria, bookstore, three indoor playgrounds, offices, an underground parking garage for 500 and an international-sized soccer field on top of the garage.

Going vertical

A congregation contemplating such an ambitious development would normally look for a large tract of land, perhaps in a newly developing suburb. Shinkwang had only seven acres, still one of the largest church parcels in Korea, in an already densely developed city. And while a typical suburban church might build 50,000 square feet on seven acres, the Shinkwang design provides 10 times that amount. Going vertical with a four-story structure, utilizing underground parking, and locating near mass transit stops was essential to reducing the footprint of the church.

Clarity of circulation and movement is designed to allow the campus to function vertically instead of just horizontally. Lobbies and corridors are roomy, but so are stairways. Thousands of people flow upward through massive sunlit-stairways, from underground parking and public transportation at the street level, to upper floors with ministry spaces.
Communicating relevance and authenticity to its culture was also important to Shinkwang Church. The four-story structure exhibits a powerful contemporary style with exposed concrete structure and use of composite metal panels. Yet the building is not cold to the touch.

Wood is a sacred natural element to Koreans, and it was incorporated in many forms through the building interior. Floors, furnishings, as well as special wall and ceiling treatments utilized wood. Cherry wood and granite native to the country were used to provide detail through the space, as was modern Asian styles of lighting and furnishings.

Many prayer closets

To support the daily prayer ministry of the church, so vital to many Korean Christians, 20 prayer rooms, totaling more than 20,000 square feet, were provided a prominent location. Rooms range in size from individual prayer “closets” to 200 person rooms for community prayer.

Significant investment was also made to make advanced technology a part of the everyday church life. HD video, sophisticated audio and LED theatrical lighting systems complement flexible functionality for worship and other ministries or public events.

Whether it’s innovative design to reduce carbon footprint, thinking vertical in facility function or connecting to its culture, Shinkwang Church offers a great example of innovative, transformational design. Even more importantly, churches everywhere can learn from the risk-taking attitude of the Shinwang congregation, which would not let traditional cultural ideas of ministry and church buildings limit their missional purpose.

Their risk is already being rewarded by a hugely positive response from the community, and other churches in Korea are taking notice.

“We have had so many visitors from other churches,” says Shinkwang’s senior pastor, Rev. Duck Soon Chang. “They have commented that our church has opened up a new chapter in Korean church facilities.”

Tom Greenwood, AIA, is director of Church Services at The Beck Group, a Dallas-based architecture and construction firm that serves churches throughout the world. [www.beckgroup.com]

By Brent Mullett

How important is youth programming for teens in today’s churches? The youth are the church of tomorrow, right? Having a successful youth program will add excitement to any church. Unfortunately, often funding for students is not a high enough priority in a building project or the overall church budget.

Imagine being a teen growing up in a church that decides to create a space that is totally dedicated to the youth group. The area would offer things most young people would enjoy, like several Xbox stations, a café, a lounge area and a spectacular worship center with state of the art Audio Video Lighting (AVL).

That is what the teens at First Baptist Church, Longview, TX, discovered when “The Hub” Student Center had its grand opening last fall. A tech-heavy place was uniquely designed just for them. This exciting new space geared for the students showed a strong dedication to them at FBC and in the community.

Higher attendance

“After setting up and tearing down week after week in the gym, we wanted to have a place where students could go and call their own, a place truly designed for worship,” explains Chris Talleri, associate minister to students at the church. The result has been incredible with attendance higher than ever and great excitement from both youth and adults.

The space became available when the bank building across the street was vacated. The church had already been using other areas of the building for various community outreach programs and the facility included a computer lab and a gymnasium. The plan for a youth room had been in visionary planning for close to three years. The plan was not implemented until Sam Midgett recently came on staff as the minister to students.

A few issues of concern included the small size of the space and its hard, concrete floors and ceilings, as well as obstacles like the large windows on each side of the worship area.

While the footprint of the usable area was small, and only allows for about 150-175 seats, the positive was that there was a blank canvas in terms of what was possible for AVL design. The goals were simple: a high impact audio system, an out-of-the-box video system and theatrical lighting system that would create flexible environments to create different moods to aid worship and teaching times.

Functional style

Benton Brother’s Solutions, Cartersville, GA, was selected to install themed, graphic acoustical wall panels placed over the blacked-out windows and the front and rear walls. The panels served two purposes. They eliminated the high reverberation time and assisted in concealing the large windows with graphics. Benton also installed an acoustical product in the ceilings to reduce negative reflective energy from the concrete ceiling.

The engineering department of CSD Inc., Woodburn, IN, took the lead in designing a permanent stage and trussing system. A relatively large trussing system from Global Truss was selected as the main structure of the worship center. LED lighting was attached throughout the trussing to allow for almost any color theme. Ten Elation Power spot intelligent fixtures were also installed with the intent of creating different atmospheres using multiple colors and gobo designs to enhance the worship experience.

Bag End, Lake Barrington, IL, has a history of outfitting smaller, club-type venues, which made them a logical choice for the speaker system. Powered TA series-powered main speakers were used for the main speakers, while powered D-12 low-profile subwoofers fit perfectly within the four stage sub bunkers.

A wall of video monitors was rejected due to the desire to include text content as well as video images. A Da-lite 22-foot wide video screen was implemented for the video system that included two Panasonic projectors with edge-blending technology from TV One, Erlanger, KY.

The worship center audio and video systems are tied to the independent café area. A Kramer scaler switcher allows the café to select either local sources or a feed from the worship center to feed two 50-inch flat-screen monitors. Ceiling speakers allow for independent audio to be piped into the lounge areas or share the worship center feed.

This is most definitely not your father’s youth group worship experience, or mine for that matter. In this case, the leadership of FBC Longview had learned to understand the value of making an impact on today’s youth before they leave and go on their way. They are doing a great job of meeting them where they are and challenging them.

Brent Mullett is a project manager for CSD Inc., Woodburn, IN. [www.csdus.com]

By Ronald E Keener

It’s called The Refinery, for the young lives it is intended to mold and refine, who use its facilities. Saddleback Church’s youth center that opened more than a year ago is as much a community center too, providing a venue for events, weddings and sports.

More recently, the facility received the Gold certificate of the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) of the U.S. Green Building Council.

And “green” it is. The planners installed a “green roof” that will help remove pollutants from storm water, reduce air conditioning needs and minimize the amount of heat that radiates from the building. The large amounts of sand around the property allow rain water to be absorbed into the earth instead of running off into the storm drains.

Do not disturb

There is a layer of sand under the grass areas as well. Pollutants are filtered out before the water goes into a nearby stream. The facility is located 300 feet away from sensitive wildlife habitats and lighting was directed to keep to a minimum the disturbance of nocturnal wildlife.

Light color concrete and roofing were selected to absorb less of the sun’s heat and reduce the heat island affect of the building. Reclaimed water is used to irrigate the landscaping which consists mostly of native and drought tolerant plants. Water is conserved by using low flow faucets, urinals and toilets.

The church says it will use 40 percent less water and consume 35 percent less energy than most buildings its size in California. Low E glass is used throughout the building to prevent heat transfer into the building.

Protect the atmosphere

Windows are located to maximize day lighting, including a large window in the ceiling. Refrigerants used in the chillers and refrigerators do not harm the atmosphere. The plywood is formaldehyde free and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Recycled materials were used as much as possible in the building, including the steel, wall framing, concrete and wall board. Ninety-five percent of the waste generated during construction was recycled.

The floor in the “Diner” is made of wood brought up from a riverbed, so no trees were cut to make the floor. Many materials in the building are from the local area, thus minimizing the use of fuel to transport the items to the site.

Checking the air quality

The air quality was tested before the building opened and the equipment involved with the systems. Carbon dioxide and the amount of fresh air in the system are monitored to keep the air healthy. Low VOC paint, sealants and adhesives were used. Much of what looks like brick or stone is actually plaster.

The facility is based on a California industrial beach theme. An outdoor baptismal pool has heaters and the water level can be changed for different uses. In one area geysers of water shoot out of the concrete floor to entertain the children.

Inside the main building LED lights inserted into the concrete floor create interest. Much of the creative aspects of the facility, and cost-savings construction, came from the creative mind of Tim Loza, then project manager on staff, now with his own firm Loza Water Works. Much of the facility’s inventive nuances came from his imagination, skill in theming and construction background.

There’s a skate board area, a deli, and a 200-seat theater. Also a fellowship area of pool tables, ping pong, games and an old time jukebox. The 45,000-square-foot facility came at a cost of $19 million. Is there anything they didn’t get? “More storage space,” says Karen Kelly, facility development director then, now a consultant to the church.

From the time of initial design to the day construction began prices for steel and concrete more than doubled. Along the way, tough choices had to be made from the original design to shrink the footprint of the building to come within budget. But today, the church and its youth see The Refinery as “something incredible” — well equipped to do the job it was intended to do with young lives.

By Robin Traum

Blondy Church of God in Hohenwald, TN, opened its newly built Family Life Center in the spring of 2008 for social and sports activities. The center serves as a gathering place and draws a steady stream of people.

The idea for the center originated with the church’s recently retired pastor Bill Webb and church elders. “The center was built to help us better minister to people and to allow them to meet in larger groups for fellowship opportunities,” says Webb.

Church elders decided to install almost 12,000-square-feet of resilient vinyl flooring in maple design in the center’s main room after looking at numerous other buildings. “Our architect presented to us what flooring he thought was best suited for our needs,” says Webb. “It’s turned out really well for us. The floor that was put in is easy to maintain and it’s durable.”

A jogging track on the upper level

The seven-millimeter thick flooring contrasts with the dark blue basketball keys and border, black basketball and white volleyball game lines. A stage anchors one end of the room and there is ample space alongside the basketball/volleyball courts for storing folding chairs. Other areas include a commercial kitchen, showers and changing facilities. A mezzanine level wraps around and overlooks the courts. The upper level includes a walking/jogging track and fitness equipment area with more than 3,800-square-feet of five-millimeter thick vinyl flooring that matches the dark blue flooring on the main level.

The thicker vinyl flooring on the basketball court provides shock absorption and accurate ball bounce. The track surface serves its multipurpose applications while providing additional indentation resistance for heavy items.

A logo in the center of the full-size basketball court draws everyone’s attention when entering the room. The bright blue and white logo illustrates the purpose of the center with its depiction of a family of four with one of the two children holding a ball.

As church secretary, Virginia Brewer handles the scheduling of the Family Life Center. In the months since it opened, she has booked it for events including birthday parties, bridal showers, wedding receptions and graduation celebrations.

Hours of use each week

Regular weekly usage includes basketball team practices and games with team members coming from the church and the community. Frequently adults organize an impromptu basketball game. “Every week they usually play basketball for three or four hours on Sunday evening and Tuesday night,” says Jeremy Hobbs, youth pastor.

The youth group frequently meets to hold sleepovers and retreats, as well as, play basketball. Other activities at the Family Life Center include dodgeball, whiffle ball tournaments and baseball practice for younger players using plastic bats and balls.

“It has the capability for playing volleyball but we haven’t had games yet,” says Hobbs. “Now it’s more basketball and walking than anything else.”

So far, the scheduling is low key but Hobbs anticipates that will change. “With such a nice facility I expect to see more activities planned for it for the future,” he says, adding the flooring gets a positive reaction. “People using the center say it is really comfortable on their knees.”

With the installation of resilient vinyl multilayered flooring, Blondy Church ensured the versatility of the center as its usage increases.

By Robin Traum is public relations consultant for Gerflor Sports Flooring LLC, Arlington Heights, IL. [www.gerflor.com]

First Southern Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK, is a congregation with approximately 8,000 members. The church worked on a new Family Life Center for a number of years, building their facility as funds became available. The finished product, opened in the fall of 2008, includes a dining hall, exercise room and gymnasium. The gymnasium is home to First Southern’s Upward Youth Sports ministry.

When it came time to furnish the gymnasium, Dave Newton, executive pastor, worked with Future Pro, a nationwide dealer of Bison sports equipment and NACDB member.

“When I needed to furnish our new Family Life Center, I checked around for someone who could help me with options and numerous proposals on everything from volleyball systems to gymnasium wall padding under basketball goals; I found Future Pro.”

The Family Life Center gym is equipped for basketball and volleyball. The portable basketball systems include adjustable height goals. The height can be lowered for skill building of younger players and raised to the official 10-foot game height for teens and adults. The volleyball equipment is a multi-game system with side-by-side double courts. An easy to adjust net height allows use for volleyball, tennis, badminton and other net games. Newton also equipped the gym with heavy-duty ball carts, wall safety padding and equipment transport carts.

— Mary Jo Schuetts [www.futureproinc.com]

By Eric Spacek

Church is no longer just a place to gather and worship. It seems an increasing number of churches are finding new ways to involve young adults, teens and children in the church community. To accomplish this, some churches are sponsoring “extreme” sports activities by taking church groups to facilities that offer inline skating, BMX biking, skateboarding, rock climbing, paintball and more.

Although extreme sports can be fun, they also present the very real possibility of injury to those who participate. Some of these common injuries include sprains, fractures, cuts and bruising, but more serious head and neck injuries also can result. For example, a 12-year-old girl who was part of a church snowmobiling outing fractured her spine and became paralyzed when the snowmobile she was on struck a tree. Given these risks, if a church does decide to become involved in an extreme sporting activity, it is vitally important to take precautions to provide the safest possible environment for those participating.

Learn the risks of the sport

The first step in the process is to determine whether the activity is appropriate for the church group given the nature of the activity and the age of the expected participants. Learn all the particulars of the activity and the risks associated with it. Contact other churches that have undertaken the activity for their experience and guidance. Check with your insurance agent or broker to determine if the church’s insurance policy will cover such an activity. And, determine whether the benefits derived from engaging in the activity outweigh the risk the church undertakes as stewards of the people under its care. Discuss the idea with the church board in order to give them an opportunity to offer their input and approval.

Assuming the idea is approved by the church board, the next step is to research the facilities that offer the activity. Generally speaking, it is better for a church to leave actual operation of the activity to businesses trained and experienced in it, rather than attempting to host the activity itself.

In selecting the recreational facility, check credentials and references, particularly from other churches. Find out how long they have been in business and learn as much as you can about their safety record and emergency plans. Ask about the training and experience of their staff, the level of training and supervision they provide to participants, the age and suitability of their equipment, and the use of protective devices and gear.

Visit the facility for first-hand observation of their operations. Ask about any certification or accreditation that they may hold and see that they follow any existing standards (such as ASTM standards) that might apply to the activity. Make sure the facility is adequately insured with liability insurance limits at least equal to the church’s own policy. Request that the church be added as an additional insured on the facility’s insurance policies, then follow up to obtain a certificate of insurance from the facility, if possible. Consider having a written agreement between the church and the facility in which the latter agrees to indemnify the church in the event an incident takes place at the facility. However, many organizations will not agree to this condition, but there is no harm in asking.

When participating in extreme sports, protective gear is a necessity. Injuries can be prevented if the proper gear is used. While the extent and type of protective gear varies by activity, head and eye protection is critical for most extreme sporting activities. Protective equipment for the face, arms, hands, legs, feet and torso may be needed depending on the nature of the activity.

Safety gear and training

In addition, appropriate safety harnesses may be needed for activities involving heights, such as rock climbing or rope courses. Make sure that the facility provides appropriate protective gear and trained personnel who clearly instruct participants on what and what not to do. Finally, make sure that participants are advised in advance what type of clothing and footwear should (or should not) be worn when participating in the activity so they can plan accordingly.

Churches that sponsor trips will, at a minimum, want to make sure that parents have signed appropriate permission slips and consent to emergency medical treatment forms for minor participants. Having adult participants sign a liability waiver or release form is not unreasonable in light of the risks presented. Most facilities will require participants (or their parents) to sign their own form. One option is to obtain a copy of the facility’s form in advance and simply add the church’s name to the facility’s name wherever it is mentioned in the form so that both organizations are better protected in that manner.

Accidents can happen

The church also will want to collect emergency contact information for each participant so that appropriate contact can be made in the event of an emergency. If the church is providing transportation to or from the activity, make sure to specifically include transportation within the permission, consent and release forms to protect the church in the event something happens on the way to or from the activity.

Despite the best precautions, accidents and injuries can happen in extreme sports. Make sure that the facility where the activity takes place has an emergency plan in place and has staff members who are trained in first aid on site while your church is there. It also is helpful if key leaders or volunteers in your group have first-aid training.

Before assisting someone who has been injured, make sure you are not in danger yourself. Assess the surrounding area and what has happened to make sure there is no remaining danger. If the injury involves blood or bodily fluids of any kind, put gloves on to protect yourself from hazards that could result from contact. Never move someone who appears to have a neck or back injury. Moving them could make the injury worse, so wait for emergency response personnel to arrive. Make sure to reach the individual’s emergency contact to keep them apprised of the situation. You also may want to use an incident report to document what transpired, as well as any witnesses to it.

Having members participate in recreational activities together can enhance the feeling of community within your church and can be just plain fun. Still, engaging in extreme sports comes with a lot of responsibilities and precautions, so keep the safety of your church’s members a top priority.

Eric Spacek is senior risk manager at GuideOne Insurance, West Des Moines, IA. [guideone.com]