Hendersonville Church of Christ is a large congregation (currently around 1800 members) with a strong history in the Hendersonville community for over 100 years. In 2016, the church leadership realized that the state of the current campus and facilities did little to support the church’s vision statement of “Connecting Christ with Community.” Like many churches, the campus evolved over time with little future planning to guide growth decisions, leaving an inconsistent and un-welcoming first impression. Perhaps the biggest example is the purchase of the adjacent retail strip center to the east about 10 years prior. The architectural language of this building had little connection physically or visually to the existing church buildings, and its location to the east of the church left the mostly-empty storefronts as the perceived “front door” to the community. This disconnection, coupled with internal building organization, made circulation and way-finding a challenge throughout the campus for visitors and members alike.
The Centric team developed a comprehensive master plan for addressing the key areas of concern in multiple phases and projects that could occur over the next two or more decades. An important aspect of the plan was creating a “road map” for the campus that was able to absorb a few “detours” along the way should priorities adjust and/or available funds be dedicated for specific projects earlier than anticipated. Future projects include a new Family Life Center, A Small Chapel, new Gathering Hall, as well as additional and re-purposed educational spaces, internal circulation upgrades, accessibility updates, and a complete overhaul of the vehicular drives and parking network.
