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| Countryside in the News | ||
David F.
Schultz Associates Ltd.: Serving
churches with vision for the future
November
4, 2007 By Michael J. Murschel
Special to the Courier News As appearing in The Elgin Courier News A Sun-Times News Group
Publication Elgin, Illinois David F. Schultz
Associates Ltd.
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Some of the area churches with which David F. Schultz Associates Ltd.
has been
involved: Christ Community Church, St. Charles; Cornerstone United
Methodist
Church, Plato Center; Countryside Church, Unitarian Universalist,
Palatine;
First Christian Church, Gurnee; First United Methodist, Crystal Lake;
Fox
Valley Church, West Dundee; Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Elgin;
Immanuel
Lutheran Church, Bartlett; Immanuel Lutheran Church, East Dundee;
Immanuel
United Church of Christ, Streamwood; Sycamore United Methodist Church,
Sycamore. On
Oct. 31, 1512, the standard for worship space design was effectively
raised
with the completion of Michelangelo's painting of the ceiling of the
Vatican's
Sistine Chapel. The following day, All Saints Day, Nov. 1, Pope Julius
II
celebrated Mass to inaugurate the Chapel. Today,
nearly 500 years later, despite the reports regarding the decline of
religion
in this nation, the effective design of worship space continues not
only to
thrive, but to consistently exceed the expectations of the church. One
of the major players in the continuing advancement of church design
centers his
practice on the northern edge of the Fox Valley in Barrington. Since
1986,
David Schultz and his firm, David F. Schultz Associates Ltd., have
worked with
more than 300 congregations on projects ranging from the public hearing
phase,
to multimillion-dollar, multiple-phase, from-the-ground-up buildings,
add-ons,
renovations and campuses. While
the awards garnered over the years are substantial, the continued
diligence to
seeking new and better options for congregations is even more so. "Worship,"
observed Schultz from his Barrington office, "isn't merely about people
coming into the building, but almost more about them not being forced
to leave
when the service is over." Schultz's
conference room is an intimate blend of efficient table space and walls
lined
with photos of projects for client congregations. It is a retrospective
of a
career that has put forward highly contemporary concepts within a realm
of
highly traditional thought. Typifying
this is the latest expansive thinking bearing the name Schultz coined
for it:
the Third Room. This
is dedicated space beyond the narthex or entryway of the church, into
which
people can gather after the service. Schultz developed the idea when
several
pastors told him they really needed more gathering space. "This
is not just community space," Schultz explained. "As people come out
of the narthex we want to move them into another space for a couple of
hours
for salting and lighting the church community and developing disciples." Thus,
such space often includes food service options with kitchens or
kitchenettes,
gathering space, media screens, Wi-Fi and flexible furnishings for
multiuse
purposes. Area examples of this trend include Immanuel Lutheran, East
Dundee;
Fox Valley Church, West Dundee; and Fox Valley Christian Church,
Batavia. "It
is unbelievable how popular these are in every church we've done them,"
Schultz said. "Some churches are even hiring staff to schedule events
for
this space." Another
trend is the continued emphasis on space for children and youth. A far
cry from
Sunday school in the basement corner of the church, or the nursery
consisting
of a box of toys in the narthex, many congregations are developing
space
dedicated to the lives of their children, and not only for Sunday
mornings. Christ
Community Church, St. Charles, for whom Schultz has completed 12
projects, is a
prime example of how significant ministering to the needs of children
can be.
Congregants wanted to create space to authenticate children so that
they could
say, "This is my church." That led to a host of projects, the most
recent by Schultz providing a large children's activity area fully
windowed
along Randall Road. "Families
will not come to worship if there isn't a strong children's ministry,"
Schultz said. "From what we understand, unless this is a strong
element,
it does not matter what you pour into worship, adults with children
want a good
experience for their children." Youth
areas are increasingly going toward the cafŽ model, with Wi-Fi, coffee
and a
drop-in environment that fosters discussions between peers and staff.
Open,
inviting, these are safe places for the spirit to blossom and flourish. As
a result of this trend, entire denominations are emphasizing
hospitality as a
key to the growth of congregations. This is reflected through the rise
of
hospitality committees, well-trained greeters and hosts, and nametags
to
personalize the experience for members and visitors alike. When
Schultz looks at the impact of a building on the hospitality ministry
of that
congregation, he keys in on the notion that site design and building
design are
integrated and the church experience starts at the street. A
classic example of this is Christ Community Church, St. Charles. Taking
into
account the rise of land upon which the church would eventually reside,
Schultz
developed the site line of the building while driving up Randall Road
from St.
Charles, as what he terms "a passive evangelism tool." Today,
rounding the bend, the church is situated directly in the middle of
that line
of sight. The
message that the church is part-and-parcel of the immediate area is
seen in the
developing trend by many congregations to return to the neighborhood
model. In
this, close proximity to church often translates to being able to walk
there
and that means increased participation. Fox Valley Church discovered
the power
of this neighborhood model when Schultz designed and then put in a
sidewalk
linking them to the surrounding neighborhood. People still like walking
to
church. "I
wanted," recalled Schultz, "to be a church architect ever since I was
a child and built a five-level tree house with a skylight. I know my
parents
wanted me to be a pastor, but I went this direction with their full
encouragement." MJM
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