Needing to combine the church and school ministries to one campus, a master plan was developed for Bethel Lutheran Church in Morton, Illinois. A new 28,285 s.f. church building that houses a sanctuary with balcony, parish hall, administrative office suite, nursery, and children’s education space was built adjacent to the existing Bethel Lutheran School.
The new Narthex is an inviting area that serves as the church’s gathering space with a Welcome Center and a coffee and donut counter. The Sanctuary was designed specifically for the church’s three types of worship services: traditional with an organ, contemporary with a band and a combination of the two that uses all the instruments. The spaces are enhanced with exposed steel trusses at the high ceilings, and wood and stone details throughout.
How do we combine the church and school ministries to one campus?
Developed a master plan that included a new 28,285 s.f. church building with a sanctuary, parish hall, administrative office suite, nursery and children’s education space built adjacent to the existing Bethel Lutheran School.
- Large worship space with balcony
- Children's education space
- Gathering space and welcome center
- 7,000 s.f. addition to the school for future classrooms/storm refuge room
- Natural light from the clerestory highlights the 25-foot-high wall of natural stone
- Exposed steel trusses at the high ceilings; wood and stone details throughout.
- Natural stone at the exterior building corner
- Canopy tower along with brick on the exterior compliments the school’s red brick facade
The multi-purpose venue provides a place for all students, faculty and staff to come together and worship in one place. Amidst a bustling campus it is a sacred place that is inspiring and supports the spiritual life of the campus community. At the same time, it accommodates with excellence a wide range of worship and performance activities and has become an outreach tool for the larger community outside the ONU campus.
Geneseo First United Methodist Church asked BLDD to develop a master plan for its downtown location, which is adjacent to a residential area and the City Center. This challenging site included multiple city blocks and required building additions and renovations. In order to accomplish these goals, a phased master plan was created. This plan supports growth in all church ministry areas including: worship, gathering and christian education space for all age groups.
The thriving Bettendorf Christian Church was in need of a long range plan for facility growth with a focus on improved traffic flow and versatile spaces for gathering, activities and administration.