Intentionally designed to not look like a traditional religious space, Eastview Christian church sits on a crest of hill among 95 acres of farmland. Beginning as a master plan and adding subsequent additions to address the growing congregation, the space now accommodates worship, teaching and recreation venues.
Keeping with their intentionally non-traditional church aesthetic, Eastview Christian Church added an outdoor amphitheater to their expansive 95-acre campus in Normal, IL. The amphitheater features a combination of built-in and movable seating options to accommodate a variety of activities, from small-group gatherings and worship services to weddings.
How do we create a new campus master plan that allows a growing church to fulfill it's ministry purpose?
A 25-year long growth and expansion plan.
- 2,500 seat auditorium
- Spacious public atrium
- Cafe
- Water feature
- Family Life Center
- Bookstore
- Outdoor recreation space
- Children's auditorium
- Youth auditorium and gym
- Children's nursery
- Staff offices
- Outdoor amphitheater and activity space
- 60,000 pound witness rock
- Gas fire pits
- Multi-functional outdoor seating
Responding to the need for more space for children and youth, the church embarked on an expansion project to address their growing needs. The addition and redesign of spaces for pre-school through senior high youth provided several age-appropriate worship spaces, a multi-court gymnasium with configurations for worship and sporting venues, and the renovation of an existing gym to address the church's much needed space for weddings.
Multi-use space not only provides ample room for play, learning, and worship, but also allows for more effective supervision of children.
The rock is a symbolic representation of the Bible verse of Joshua 24:27, which says, “‘See!’ he said to all the people. ‘This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.’”
Built in 1925, the historic First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, IL, was renovated to restore their aging facilities and add a new accessible entryway and lobby. The new main lobby welcomes visitors with an open and inviting atmosphere that uses the exterior walls of the previous courtyard to blend the historic with the modern design.
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.
West Side Christian Church (WSCC) located in Springfield, IL, is a growing congregation looking to serve God and their community in bigger ways. WSCC worked with the religious design experts at BLDD to complete a master plan that facilitates their growth through the expansion of their Kids Ministry space, the creation of a new entryway, a large worship center, and environmental graphics to increase visibility and branding.