Project Details:
- Date completed: April 2016
- Project cost: $951,412
- 10,000 sq. ft. renovation
- Renovation and reconstruction
of gym and sanctuary
- Total AVL rework including a new LED projection wall
- Updated acoustical treatment
- New stage and proscenium
Project Background:
Stones Crossing Church in Greenwood, Indiana, was originally founded by five couples who had been meeting for a small group Bible study. The longer this band of believers met, the more they experienced the power of spiritual formation and accountability. They invited more people to share in the experience, and since its first public worship service in a school cafeteria in 1996, the church has grown quickly and consistently; they have had to move locations several times, starting in local schools and eventually buying their own land.
In 1999, a vision began to form for the pastor that this church would reach out to the un-churched, those who had given up on church, and those far from God. Stones Crossing made the intentional decision to transform into a church that would build up the existing body of believers while at the same time extending its reach to those who might otherwise never find hope in Christ.
This welcoming culture has led to steady growth, especially among families, which had put pressure on their children’s ministry space. The church debated whether to stay in this building, which was quickly becoming too small to accommodate their growth.
Project Results:
New Sanctuary
Aspen Group helped create a long-term plan that included kids ministry expansion. Whitehead says, “We’ve decided to stay in our current building and potentially plant a church when we’ve outgrown this building.”
Stones Crossing decided to start with a sanctuary remodel to help create momentum within the congregation as the gym/ sanctuary they were worshipping in was quickly becoming a barrier to reaching the increasing crowd. For the sanctuary project, Aspen brought in LiveSpace, an audio/video/lighting company, to create a plan for integrating new sound, lighting, projectors, and an LED wall in the auditorium.
“Our mission and vision has sharpened on communicating the gospel and making disciples,” says Whitehead. “The tech upgrades will help us communicate the gospel more effectively. We believe this will result in changed lives.”
“We viewed the sanctuary remodel as a mini-win before we embarked on a larger phased building project,” says Whitehead.
Today, roughly 900 people attend Stones Crossing Church each week, and it continues to be known as real, inviting, and welcoming. The space works so much better for the church’s needs, and the transformation has resulted in new excitement and momentum in the ever-still growing congregation.
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