Faced with growing congregations, changing church and community needs and inadequate buildings, several churches across the country have forged ahead with new building and renovation projects during the past year, usually with some support from Presbyteries and Conferences but next to no capital funding from the national church. While some churches struggle to keep their doors open, others find their buildings bursting with busy programs and newcomers.
New construction is inevitably a sign of lively congregations.
For many congregations, recent renovations or planned projects have been spurred by a move toward contemporary services that need more flexible sanctuary space. Rev. Brian Robinson says his congregation at Calvary Evangelical United has been praising God and having fun for about 10 years. In other cases, though, congregations are simply responding to changing community needs. At Foothills United, a renovation that doubled the size of the kitchen, upgraded bathrooms, built new offices and a meeting room and slightly expanded the sanctuary, lets the congregation continue its current community kitchen, food bank and other outreach programs. The changes benefit the community and us too, says minister Linda Hunter.