Palmyra, PA

GracePoint Evangelical Free Church began their ministry in a humble pre-engineered metal building fabrication shop. Drawing from these beginnings, the choice was made to use the same type of building.  When our team was brought on board, we were tasked with maximizing the potential of a new pre-engineered metal building. And, perhaps more importantly, we set about to understand their ministry and mission.

Critical to the experience of their worship is the common entry point.  A deliberate and easily identified entrance for visitors and congregational members was top of mind. Defined by a large Porte Corchère, the transparent vestibule opens to a gracious gathering and welcoming space. The gathering space includes a warm and inviting fireplace with matching accent stone veneer and a convenient serving window to the full-service kitchen for coffee. The main entrance to the GracePoint Evangelical Free Church worship space is dutifully designated by accent interior stone veneer.

The gathering space enjoys views to the exterior while opening the interior to the structure of the pre-engineered metal building, harkening to the roots of the church’s first home. While future expansion includes both additional educational spaces as well as a full gymnasium, initial budget constraints required that the worship space also double as multipurpose space for volleyball and banquets. A conscious decision to utilize an athletic carpet was made to discretely define the parameters of a volleyball court for the youth while maintaining an aesthetic appearance and providing a level of acoustical control for voice and music. This was supplemented with strategic placement of sound-absorbing panels around the perimeter of the room. An ample and accessible platform and storage permits the flexibility of the space for both worship and sport.

A connected but secure classroom wing, as well as a secondary small group gathering space with adjacent catering kitchen permits the growing church to fulfill their ministry efforts.

Further Reading

Click here to see photographs of the church’s groundbreaking ceremony in 2018!