By RaeAnn Slaybaugh
Amid a tumultuous culture, people are yearning for authentic connection.
With the right offerings — and the facilities designed to support them — churches can be their best “ports in a storm.”
Chief Operating Officer
Goff Companies
Church Executive: As a church building professional, what does ‘community-focused’ design mean to you?
Tanner Goff: A long time ago, churches were the meeting houses for their towns. That has changed over the last several decades — but it’s coming back.
Churches today want to intersect more with their communities. They’re asking themselves, Aside from religious programming, what can we do that would be helpful to the community? They’re really interested in becoming a community hub all week, with flexible, welcoming spaces that serve not just the needs of the congregation, but those of the broader community. That might mean providing a place to host support groups, adult education, parenting classes, resume-writing workshops,
Director, Client Relations
Goff Companies
personal finance classes, and more.
A lot of churches are partnering with community organizations or local Independent School Districts that foster connections within the community. Many are even sharing resources and volunteers.
Churches are also offering children’s programming and outdoor recreation, like firepits with seating.
The overarching idea is to make the church feel like it’s part of
the neighborhood.
CE: Why is it crucial for a church to be community-focused in this day and age?
Tanner Goff: Cultural shifts have made it really essential. Although new housing communities are being built all the time, natural gathering spaces in those communities are going away. I’m talking about the libraries and the civic centers of the past generations — places where an HOA meeting, for example, could happen. A church can fill this void, with the recognition that you can’t get someone to come back to your facility until they’ve been there once.
In recent years, skepticism about institutional religion has escalated, especially when it comes to megachurches. Scandals have kind of turned people away. Opening up your church to the community shows transparency and builds trust and relevance; I think that’s what people are looking for most today. They’re seeking authenticity, practical support, and a place to connect with other people who might be in their same stage of life.
Kerry Jones: There has been significant effort in the past couple of decades to attract families with young children to attend church. Those children are now becoming church leaders who are increasingly shaping conversations around this idea of ‘community-focused church design.’
A notable shift from previous generations is a strong interest in energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. For many young people, caring for creation is seen as an act of worship that’s an essential expression of their faith. They place a high value on environmental responsibility and long-term stewardship of resources, advocating for churches to incorporate renewable energy sources, efficient HVAC systems, improved insulation, natural lighting, and water-saving features into building design. They see using eco-friendly materials and flexible spaces as reducing waste and operating costs, freeing resources for expanded ministry opportunities.
These young leaders are inspiring meaningful conversations among church leadership, helping to imagine facilities that reflect biblical stewardship as a part of the church’s vision for reaching their communities for Christ.
CE: Has the term ‘community-focused church design’ evolved over the years?
Kerry Jones: I think churches have always wanted to be community-focused but became internally focused by their nature. Whereas churchgoers were asking, What’s in it for me? before, and, I need this church to better meet my needs, I think that mindset has changed a lot, especially since the pandemic.
More and more, as we do assessments for churches — including congregational surveys — one of the questions we’re asking is especially telling: ‘What church were you attending six months before you started coming here?’ Increasingly, people are saying, ‘None.’ Pre-pandemic, about 7% or 8% of people answered this way; now it’s up in the double digits at 18% or 20%.
I think the economy probably has something to do with it. The uncertainty of politics; wars going on around the world; terrorism; medical issues — for comfort, people are turning back towards a sense of community.
CE: For a church design to be truly community-focused, what elements must it include?
Kerry Jones: I think it’s important for people to be able to see into the building before they go inside. There needs to be enough exterior glass so people can know that when they arrive, they won’t be entering a room full of people sitting, and everybody will turn and stare at them.
You also need some transition space from the parking lot to the building. There was a time when church sites were so compressed: building, then sidewalk, then parking lot. Kind of like a retail center: you’d pull in, make your way across the sidewalk, and go into the building.
What we’re seeing now is a little bit of green space in between that makes it feel more welcoming. There might be outdoor seating, a water feature, or an outdoor gathering space.
Inside, maybe you opt for stackable chairs instead of fixed seating so you can host dinners or movie nights. That gives families something to do during the week that they don’t have to go and spend money on.
Also, almost every church we design right now is putting in some type of café or coffee shop in the Commons spaces.
Speaking of that, churches might like their lobbies to be really big, but it can be expensive when you factor in costs like air-conditioning and heating. So, maybe we make those spaces a little smaller and let them spill outdoors. Glass garage doors can provide indoor/outdoor space for gatherings. And that way, when people drive by, maybe they see 100 people outside having fun together; it becomes an attraction.
Overall, churches need to avoid the appearance of being too internally focused, like exclusive country clubs.
CE: Obviously, it’s easier to incorporate these elements into a new-build project. But what can existing churches do?
Tanner Goff: We’re working with a church right now whose school has moved out of their building. Now they’re opening up all those rooms for community activities. One will be used for supervised visits between foster children and their biological parents. Other rooms will host addiction recovery program meetings. This is just one example.
Generally, if you have space for it, pickleball is huge right now. Maybe there’s enough room in your parking lot to stripe off an area for that.
My point is that your church can be community-focused with spaces you already have.
CE: Are there lesser-considered benefits of taking a community-focused design approach, aside from outreach and discipling?
Kerry Jones: Well, there’s some financial sustainability to be had in community-focused spaces. But even if they’re not providing new revenue streams, the fact that you’re using your buildings to their full potential demonstrates good stewardship.
Also, staff and church morale can benefit from seeing their building being used more efficiently. After all, they’re paying for the building; if they see that it’s helping the church reach people during the week, not just on Sunday, I think it provides an intangible boost.
IRVING BIBLE CHURCH (Irving, Texas) + COMPASS CHRISTIAN CHURCH (North Fort Worth, Texas)
These two large Texas churches share a handful of community-focused design elements:
LARGE COMMONS AREAS. In churches, these spaces used to be called “narthexes.” Then they were “lobbies.” Now they’re called Commons areas. Regardless, one they all have in common is
their community-focused function: they are spaces where people can gather before and after worship services or dropping off or picking up their kids from the children’s area, and so on.
COFFEE BARS/CAFÉS. A coffee bar/cafe can be open during the week so businesspeople can come and get a cup of coffee, and parents can bring their kids together for play dates while they enjoy a latte.
One church Goff Companies is currently working with is turning its entire lobby and administration area into a fully functioning coffee shop. It will be a for-profit business, but — more importantly — a place for people to gather and socialize. And hopefully, they’ll come back on Sunday.
GREAT Wi-Fi. In Texas, homeschooling is a big movement. Accordingly, churches are gathering spaces for parents in the community who are taking this approach. These are mix-and-mingle spaces that they and their kids wouldn’t otherwise get to enjoy outside a traditional school.
And those businesspeople meeting and working remotely in the coffee bar/café? They need a strong signal, too.
