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.
Phase 1:
The 26,000 square foot addition includes four new ministry spaces serving a range of kids from 3 to 3rd grade. The entrance to the Kids Ministry includes a new main entry to the church connected to an open children's gathering space. The gathering space provides a central, secure location for check-in before service. An indoor playground for all age groups is located within the gathering space. There is plenty of seating for fellowship adjacent to the new entry and play area. A small outdoor seating area can be accessed off the gathering space as well for pleasant weather days.
Looking to create more engaging, welcoming spaces for kids at your church? Discover practical design tips and real-world inspiration for children’s ministry spaces in our latest blog post. read the full story!
Phase 2:
In addition to the Kids Ministry expansion, WSCC’s master plan included a second phase to expand gathering areas and their Worship Center.To accommodate for the church’s growth, the new Worship Center can accommodate up to 2,200 seats, doubling the previous capacity.
The space is equipped with complete AV systems, a mixing position, an editing room, and a large, curved LED wall that is acoustically transparent to provide a space designed for worship. The circular thresh stage allows for 180 degree viewing and the fan shape of the room creates a sense of coziness. Located backstage are dressing rooms and a green room along with access to the baptistry area.
Outside of the Worship Center is a large gathering space where newcomers can connect with other church members and find ministry information.
How do we adapt and reuse an older, uninspired church building to meet the needs of a growing congregation?
Being good stewards of the gifts at the church's disposal, a lovely Christian education and worship space was created over the course of several projects and faith-filled efforts in trusting in the Lord's provision and timing.
- 2,000 Seat Worship Center
- Secure main entry
- Kids Ministry
- Bright colors differentiate the spaces by age group in the children’s wing
- Environmental branding
- Wayfinding for easy navigation
- Added visibility from the road
- Large exterior entry signs
the children’s addition features a large group space, designed with “tents” for kids to break off into small groups and connect with the larger message through age-appropriate activities.
BLDD designed a new facility to replace Bethany’s existing church and to provide much needed space for this growing congregation. The 50-acre site was master planned for 1,200 parking spaces with site amenities including a water feature, vehicular circulation, softball field, soccer field, and a picnic shelter.
Following a successful year-long master planning process, designed to address concerns of aging infrastructure and facility inequities, Lanphier High School was identified as a top priority for revitalization among the district's three high schools.
Willow Crystal Lake started with a vision for a space that could reach out to the community and serve as many people as possible. We helped them create a master plan that is a direct reflection of the core convictions and mission of the church. The open and inviting design is an intentional feature that connects the building to the site and the entire community. The goal of Phase 1 was to create a new worship center and then use as much of the existing structure for all of the other ministry spaces.