Before Founding Pastors Bryan and Crystal Sparks launched One Church in 2014, they spent considerable time praying about where to plant those roots. At the time, Royse City — located about an hour outside of Dallas, where they lived at the time — wasn’t the answer they were expecting.
Even so, that’s exactly where they were called to plant.
Alas, in December 2013, the Sparkses sold their home in nearby Sulphur Springs, Texas, and moved to Royse City. Right away, they started compiling a planting team through the Association of Related Churches (ARC). Outside of this group, the couple didn’t know anybody in town.
It was a tough road, at first.
“We started with four members — my family,” Bryan Sparks recalls, laughing. “At that time, we could even count our dog!”
Still, they pressed on. Soon, the launch team exceeded 300 people. Together, they set up and tore down in an elementary school every Sunday.
Six months later, when school officials withdrew permission to gather there, One Church moved services to a 6,500-square-foot wedding venue.
A year after that, Sparks successfully appealed to the school board, and his team moved back into the elementary school. In that unassuming space, One Church flourished for four years — so much so that in 2018, leaders bought seven acres of land in nearby Caddo Mills. The property included a 10,000-square-foot metal building, which needed to be renovated for worship.
Just as planting in Royse City in the first place was an exercise in blind faith, so was moving to Caddo Mills. At the time, the town didn’t even have a grocery store.
“Now there’s a lot of housing development happening here; but even as of two years ago, the population was only 1,800,” Sparks says. “We’re kind of out in the middle of nowhere, but you know how Texas is; there are a lot of small surrounding towns.”
And in those towns, seekers. In no time, the reimagined metal building burst at the seams with worshippers and kids alike. “At first, we thought, Oh, we’ve got plenty of space,” Sparks recalls. “But within a year, we were interviewing people to think about expanding our building.”
From the start, One Church was hosting two services in its new space. Even with seating available for 400 at a time, a third service was added shortly before COVID struck in early 2020. With all the uncertainty the pandemic brought with it, expansion plans were put on hold.
By 2022, One Church was back to one service. This quickly grew to two services, then three. For two years, Sparks led four services on Sunday while also laying the foundation for the revisited (and much-needed) expansion.
“We were still interviewing builders, trying to figure out, What can we build? How can we expand?” Sparks explains. Through this vetting process, he became acquainted with Rodney James, founder and president of Master’s Plan Church Design & Construction — a most welcome connection.
“We talked with several firms, but we just didn’t jive with them,” Sparks remembers. “I’m really good at listening to my wife [laughs]. So, when we came across Rodney, and she really liked him and his team, we jumped all-in.”
And not a moment too soon…
By that point, the need for more children’s ministry space at One Church was so urgent that two modular classrooms were rented and set up on the property. It added 5,000 square feet of kids’ space, giving the church some much-needed room to maneuver in its worship center … but that wasn’t nearly enough.
“There are a lot of young families in our church, and they really believe in ‘being fruitful and multiplying,’” Sparks jokes. “On any given Sunday, we’ll have 150 kids in our classes. We just had to have even more room for them.”
Enter James and his team.
They flew down from Oklahoma and asked a deceptively simple question: OK, so, what do you need? They examined current attendance, the areas One Church was looking to expand, and what could realistically fit on the seven acres. and then got to work on a master plan.
“Rodney knew that he only had so much space to work with,” Sparks points out. “And again, we’re in the country. So, even though we do have some land, we also have to figure in septic systems, retention ponds, all of that stuff.”
According to the plan that was devised, the existing 10,000-square-foot building would be renovated for children’s ministry, with a focus on providing functional kids’ classrooms. Meanwhile, a new building would house a new, 900-seat sanctuary and vastly expanded lobby space.
“In the existing building, we were welcoming 1,600 people — adults and kids,” Sparks says. “If you walked through it, you’d think, How in the world are they doing this? It truly was very uncomfortable. Pretty wild most of the time.”
Seeing this, expanded gathering space became a priority. The new building’s design incorporates a large, L-shaped lobby space where people can really connect.
“It makes such a difference,” Sparks says. “As a result, our people are able to hang out and talk, and even do extra things they couldn’t do before, like take photos on Mother’s Day and Easter.”
Additionally, with an eye toward excellence in the kids’ spaces, a dedicated check-in space was worked into the new building’s design. Right now, a dedicated team takes the children to their classrooms; ultimately, however, the worship building / lobby and the children’s ministry building will be connected by a hallway.
“Overall, we want it to feel like one building,” Sparks explains. “But Rodney has done such a great job with what we have right now.”
In this vein, Sparks says he especially appreciates the design of the new auditorium. Though he was new to the idea of tiered stadium seating in a sanctuary before enlisting James, its appeal quickly became clear.
“As a preacher, it’s really fun because you can see the people all the way in the back,” he points out. “But my favorite part is that I can hear the whole church sing; it feels like the room hugs you.”
When all is said and done, the usable space at One Church will triple, coming in at 30,000 square feet.
Aside from providing three times more room to grow and connect, significant bottom-line cost savings are also fueling improved ministry at One Church. Currently, Phase 2 of the project — repurposing the existing sanctuary space — is $500,000 under budget.
“I mean, anything under budget is amazing; I hope it stays that way, and I think it will,” Sparks shares. “When we began working with Rodney, he said, ‘I’m going to give you this number. You can literally take this to the bank,’” he adds. “There are so many unknowns in construction right now, but I think he and his team — once they get the go-ahead on a project — are already pre-purchasing supplies, buying them at the lowest possible cost. That makes a big difference.”
Rethinking the process — from the start
For Sparks, one of the most important lessons he’s learned heading up a major building project is to begin a relationship with a good, reputable builder “sooner rather than later” — well before breaking ground, even.
“Before you purchase land, you should already have somebody you want to use as a builder,” he advises. “Not all land is created equal; the right builder can make sure you’re actually going to be able to use all of it according to city specs.”
This holds true even if a building project is years down the road, Sparks adds.
“The builder isn’t just there to put a building up; they can do core samples and a lot more before you sign on the dotted line,” he points out. “You want to be a good steward of what God’s given you. If you buy land and it’s not usable, then what’s the point of having it?”
Sparks learned this lesson firsthand years before One Church’s current project, when James dissuaded the purchase of five acres of adjacent land. With the goal of expanding the new 900-seat sanctuary even further to 1,500 seats, and of providing more parking, it made sense — at least on the surface.
“When I reached out to Rodney, he said, ‘Let me get my team on it,’” Sparks remembers. “I know it took them some time, but he didn’t charge me anything for it.”
A solid foundation to grow on
Today, the church has two locations: one in Caddo Mills — its broadcast campus — and the original Sulphur Springs location. Combined, a typical Sunday sees about 2,400 in attendance and 30 to 45 salvations, most of them previously unchurched individuals.
“Our heart is to create an environment for people to encounter Jesus,” Sparks points out. “We always say, ‘If you encounter One Church, you’re going to be disappointed. But man, if you encounter Jesus, you’ll never be disappointed with Him.”
It’s in keeping with this vision that Sparks and his team are, once again, considering potential future expansion. Ultimately, this might mean relocating.
“We’ll have to build offsite to get the 1,500-seat auditorium I talked about before,” he explains.
To this end, Sparks has already consulted James about how many acres will be needed to accommodate the larger sanctuary but also much-desired outdoor fellowship and recreation space.
“We’re not in a rush on all that; we’re just believing God for the right land to come available,” he clarifies. “Before that, we’ll probably launch another campus to give us a little bit of breathing room.”
Still, with rapid growth ensuing, Sparks acknowledges that patience and partnership are going to be instrumental, again. He was reminded of this truth on a recent trip to Paris and Rome with their children.
“As we were walking through the churches, it occurred to me that some of them took 800 years to build,” he shares. “I thought, Man, people gave to something that they would never even worship in. Compared to that, a two-year project is nothing.”
For now, it’s enough to look forward to One Church building’s grand opening on October 5, 2025.
And when the time comes to expand further, Sparks has learned a lot about the process — and, just as important, identified the right building partner.
“My passion isn’t buildings; it’s people,” he concludes. “Fortunately, Rodney’s expertise shines through in the details — his passion for the local church was clear from the beginning. Before we even agreed to work with him, he told me, ‘Here’s my number. Even if you don’t go with us as a company, you can text me with any questions.’
“You could just tell he was here for us, and that makes a big difference.”
