Bridges of Hope

‘The team at Trinity has made it possible for our dreams and vision to come alive through their persistent and passionate work. It has energized us and motivated us to move ‘forward in faith’.’

Pastor DeWayne Howard – Bridges of Hope Fellowship

Fort Bluff / NACA

Ft Bluff Camp in Dayton, TN is the home to the National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) where executive director Tim Walterbach is leading the initiative to renovate and expand the campus with the acquisition of 38 acres of new property.  This land, along with some of the existing property, will be host to a new arena and conference center, championship-quality athletic fields, guest housing, and more.  Their calling is to use high-school sports, nationwide, as a vehicle to spread the Gospel.

This expansion will come quickly on the heels of a new dormitory-style housing unit (shown below) that will ultimately house 450 occupants providing facilities to host summer camps of various sports.  Trinity is currently designing this facility and construction is scheduled to start as early as January 2010.

Learn more about the National Association of Christian Athletes at www.nacasports.com

Welcome to Trinity!

As the spiritual leader of your congregation you have found your way here looking for some help or information as you consider the most effective way to grow into the future. Your search may be prompted because you have been through the process before and are looking for a more effective way, or simply it is your first time facing some of the challenges of growth. On this site you will find a variety of free resources that are designed to assist you in understanding our unique process of Plan-Design-Build. Before you dive into the resources, here are some basics:

Step 1 – Read all the Free Stuff: Browse through all our site to look at all the articles, case studies, examples, and resources. We certainly recommend that you read the Our Team page, as we believe it is important to know those who labor among you.

Step 2 – Call or Email with Questions: The only bad question is the one left unasked. The Scripture promises us that it is “by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 24:6). Often we are able to answer your questions in a brief conversation saving time, effort, and resources.

Step 3 – Discuss a Conference: At some point, you will be ready for full discussions and presentation.  For those leaders who are interested in knowing more, the typical process is usually a visit or web presentation to introduce ourselves and our concept to the other leaders of the Church to have more in depth discussions and questions/answers dealing specifically with your Church. There is no charge for this service.

Request a Personal Web Presentation – This service is with no obligation to you or your Church and provided free of charge.

Trinity to Master Plan Fellowship Bible BC

Fellowship Bible Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA confirmed plans yesterday to Master Plan the entire property, even as construction of their current facility is underway.   The church, which hired Trinity Design Group two months ago to redesign and manage the construction of a 2500-seat sanctuary and nursery facility, is making plans for growth over the next generation and understands the need for a long-term perspective in the development of its ministry facilities.

“We expect this campus to have a very unique personality.” says Rick Thurman, planner with TDG.  The master plan is expected to continue the domed theme throughout the campus.

Trinity Hired to Master-Plan Christian Sports Campus

Ft Bluff Camp in Dayton, TN is the home to the National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) where executive director Tim Walterbach is leading the initiative to renovate and expand the campus with the acquisition of 38 acres of new property.  This land, along with some of the existing property, will be host to a new arena and conference center, championship-quality athletic fields, guest housing, and more. Trinity Design Group is honored to have been selected to partner with NACA in their bold calling to use high-school sports nationwide as a vehicle to spread the Gospel.

This expansion will come quickly on the heels of a new dormitory-style housing unit that will ultimately house 450 occupants providing facilities to host summer camps of various sports.  Trinity is currently designing this facility and construction is scheduled to start as early as January 2010.

Learn more about the National Association of Christian Athletes at www.nacasports.com

Bridges of Hope Fellowship, McMinnville, TN Begins Construction

On Sunday, October 4^th, 2009, the 3^rd Anniversary of their initial launch, the congregation at Bridges of Hope Fellowship of McMinnville, Tennessee celebrated a ceremonial groundbreaking for their new facility.

The initial phase of construction calls for a 175-seat worship center with a café and classrooms.   It is scheduled for completion by Easter 2010.   Bridges of Hope’s new facility was designed by Trinity Design Group of Murfreesboro, TN, and will be built by the Vision Building Group and the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s Volunteer Construction Team among other volunteer groups.

Trinity Hired for redesign of FBBC

Fellowship Bible Baptist Church of Warner Robins, GA recently hired Trinity to redesign and manage the construction of their new worship and preschool facility.  The building features a dome design by Dome Technologies with seating for approximately 2500 in worship attendance.  The redesign is estimated to save the project approximately 20 percent of the original budget and allow construction to resume.  The project is currently under construction and is scheduled to finish for the Mother’s Day Service in 2010.

New Floor plan for main sanctuary

How do I select an architect for my church?

How do I choose an Architect for my church?

As you get started on a building project, you will find that one of the major decisions you will face is selecting the design team, and specifically, the architect.  Selecting an architect seems like a daunting chore.  How do you know that the architect you select will design a building that meets your needs both functionally and aesthetically?  How does your architect fit into the entire building process?  If you are considering a design-build scenario as an option, understand that the architect works for the builder, not you.  Therefore, you should use the same criteria here to choose the builder, as you would if you were choosing an architect directly.  The following are some things to consider.

Artistic Capability

I have heard it said that it takes the same amount of bricks to build a pretty building as an ugly building.  Just as it takes the same amount of paint for Rembrandt to produce a painting as it does me, but Rembrandt’s is worth much more.  Apparently, the arrangement of the elements makes some difference- so too with architecture. No one seems to want an ugly building.  So when you are starting out, look at an architect’s previous work, what do you think?  Do you like it?  That’s a starting point, but of course it’s not that simple. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and a good architect should design what the client likes, not necessarily what you like (or even what the architect likes.)  With enough previous works, though, you should get an idea of the architect’s capabilities.

Communication

The second criterion of choosing your architect is how well you can communicate with him.  Do you feel understood when you speak with him?  Do you feel like your ideas are likely to be incorporated?  Does he ask questions?  Does he understand your vision?  What about your ministry?  After all, this is the person who will play a major role in transforming your vision into a tangible structure; you must have clear lines of communication.   This is a personal chemistry question, not a reflection of technical talents or ability.

Technical Ability

Technical ability is, however, very important to your project.  The architect you choose should be experienced in the types of structures and the industry in which you are building. It is also important to differentiate between the architecture firm, and the architect working on your project.  Insist that you meet the architect that would be assigned to your project. It is not enough to have a good rapport with the management or sales team of the firm, they are not creating your design.  Ask the architect to bring a set of previous drawings to your meeting.  Compare the detail in the drawings.  More detail in the plans reduces surprises in construction.

Church Design Experience

Finally, it is important that your architect have church design experience. If you are building a traditional style church, it is easy to see that structural methods and elements are different than typical commercial projects.  It goes without saying that experience in that arena would be helpful, but what if you are building a more contemporary structure where your desire is to look more like a commercial structure?  Wouldn’t it make sense to go with a commercial architect or builder?  The answer, maybe surprisingly, is ‘no’.   The reason for this is that architectural design is more than creating a set of building plans; it is a process of translating vision to a tangible, useful structure.  This is a much more complicated process – particularly for a church.

There are social, political and spiritual aspects and ramifications in a church project that differ dramatically from a commercial project.  You are working in committees, and you need consensus to move forward.  There are spiritual forces at play within your committees and congregation.  You are working with voluntary labor, voluntary contributions, and therefore popular opinion.  All of these things lead to more time to make decisions and a significant backlash if not handled properly and with care.  It is critical that the architect you choose is adept and experienced in this setting.

Fees

Budget is a reality.  Make sure you know what you will be spending before you spend it, and that it fits within your means.  It is worth noting here, that a properly designed building will save you money at construction and in the future, so don’t be tempted to try to cut costs in the planning stage.  You may end up paying for it many times over.

Secondly, understand what you are paying for.  Architectural drawings come in two phases.  The first is design drawings, the second is construction drawings.  The second is considerably more expensive.  Some firms offer services that allow you to know your final building cost before ever finalizing the construction drawings so you don’t pay for a full set of construction drawings if the project budget doesn’t match your expectations.  This is done by incorporating all project participants in the design- a process known as integrated project delivery (IPD.)  This differs from a design-build in that all parties are chosen by and work for you directly rather than for the builder and it is done before a construction contract is ever defined.

In the end, there are many qualified architects around, and many qualified church architects, for that matter.  No one architect or architectural process is right for everyone, so do your homework.   Also remember that the architect is only one member of the team including a church planner/consultant, builder, financier, and others that work together along with the staff at your church to contribute to your project.   Know your strategy before choosing the team members.  Proverbs says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”  (15:22.)   If chosen properly, in light of the entire team, your architect can be a great asset for your building project and to the subsequent success of your ministry.  Be sober of mind, be diligent, and use the resources that you have available to you; God will do great things through your ministry.

Jeff Hess is a project navigator at Trinity Design Group in Murfreesboro, TN.  He coordinates the long-range planning, architectural design, and construction administration of facilities for his clients with TDG, a firm that specializes in architecture for ministry.  Find more information at www.trinitydesigngroup.com

Church Planning Survey

Please take a minute to tell us about your project.  Only your contact information is required, but the more you can tell us about your situation, the better we can help.

Webinar Registration

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After you complete this form, please take a minute to fill out the Free Planning Survey so we can know a little about your project prior to our meeting.

If you have any questions, call our office at 615-848-9292

We look forward to seeing you then!