Aspen Project Portfolio–Calvary Church

Project Details:

New main entrance with spacious
lobby and connecting spaces
New secondary entrance providing
direct access to the nursery and
special needs ministry space
New 900-seat auditorium with
backstage area, prayer rooms, and
state-of-the-art AVL package

New family space, including a children’s recreation area, café space for the parents, large nurseries, large group rooms for activities, rooms for special needs ministries, and a fireside room
New clear signage and wayfinding for a better first-time visitor experience

Project Background:

Calvary Church, in Springfield, Illinois, has a vision to be a place that is not just in the community, but an integral part of the community—a place that’s open for use on Sundays, and throughout the week. In pursuit of this dream, the church purchased a large parcel of land along the interstate. Aspen Group partnered with Calvary Church to design, build, and furnish the church with a focus on how the space could be used to impact the community.

“We now realize that people hang out longer after services because people have space to linger in….”

Company Name

Pastor Brian Coffey, Senior Pastor

Project Results:

Calvary Church wanted to make a statement not only to those who walked through the doors, but also to the thousands of travelers who drive past daily. While a warehouse-style church would have been much less expensive to construct, it was an important feature in Calvary’s DNA to have a shapely building that would make a statement and lead people to something sacred. They decided to install a 100-foot cross that is visible from the interstate.

“I sensed the Lord speaking to me to do something on our property that people would see and identify, and the cross was the natural choice,” says Pastor Mark Johnson.

To help Calvary Church fulfill its calling to serve the Springfield community, Aspen Group focused on creating space to make it easy and accessible for parents and their kids to hang out and attend church.

The new family space is fully staffed, and it includes a children’s recreation area, café space for the parents, large nurseries, large group rooms for activities, rooms for special needs ministries, and a fireside room. These elements were intentionally designed to give parents peace of mind while their children play and learn in a Christ-centered environment.

The sanctuary seats 900 and includes a large backstage area, prayer rooms, and a state-of-the-art AVL package.