St. Timothy's Community Church
St. Timothy's Community Church Expansion
Aspen Group partnered with St. Timothy's Community Church to bridge the gap between children's and adult ministries.
| Completed | 2015 |
| Size | 12,500 sq. ft. |
| Location | Gary, IN |
Overview
Transforming Space For All Generations
St. Timothy Community Church in Gary, Indiana, serves as a space that fosters hope in a neighborhood challenged by economic hardship and violence. While its exterior radiated a welcoming presence, the interior failed to reflect this sense of invitation. A previous renovation in 2000 with a different builder resulted in significant structural issues due to the building’s foundation on slag. Over time, the floor buckled, walls pushed out, and ceiling tiles fell, rendering the church in disrepair.
Aspen Group was entrusted with the mission to not only address these foundational problems but to also create a space that would advance St. Timothy’s mission to be a space of hope and light. During Aspen’s Discovery process, it became clear that the church needed to bridge the gap between children’s and adult ministry. While the adults had ample space for gatherings, the youth had no dedicated area to call their own.
Results
A Better Future For St. Timothy's
Aspen’s solution was to convert the large banquet hall into a flexible, multipurpose space that included partitioned classrooms and open meeting areas. The lobby was renovated to feature comfortable, flexible seating, creating an inviting gathering spot after services and doubling as banquet space for large events. Additionally, the commercial kitchen was revamped to enhance the efficiency of the church’s thriving catering operation.
The results are transformative. The new multipurpose space now provides youth with a dedicated area, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion within the congregation. Advanced technology, including streaming capabilities, offers new avenues for engagement, allowing services to be broadcast into the ministry center.
The revitalized St. Timothy’s truly embodies its role as a space that offers inviting and functional spaces for worship, connection, and ministry.
