Church gets look at future home

Aug. 25--First Christian Church is a step closer to returning to its home at 700 J.R. Miller Blvd. The church unveiled its new building plans Sunday after worship service at the Owensboro Convention Center.

Lightning struck the church on March 18, 2013, causing about $12 million in damage.

Tracey Ford, Gary Everston and Jordan Etters of the Nashville-based EOA Architects presented renderings of the new church to the congregation Sunday.

Ford said the company spent a lot of time interviewing the congregation and church leaders to get ideas for the design.

"This congregation has a really good feeling of who they are," she said. "They mostly said they wanted to maintain the traditional feel of their old church, without being too stuffy."

The new 28,000-square-foot church will feature an open lobby area, a fellowship hall that can seat 250 at round tables, a two-story education wing with a children's chapel and a memorial garden.

"The building is cross-shaped; it's very poetic," Ford said.

Stones and stained glass salvaged from the fire will be incorporated into the sanctuary. Wooden details will also maintain the feeling of the old building, Ford said.

"We looked at a wide range of options, and our members had a lot of input," said Stuart Gant, chairman of the Exploring Team and sixth-generation member of First Chrisitan. "(The architects) really listened and everyone is very excited about what our new church will look like."

Gant said the plans are on budget -- the insurance settlement was $7.8 million -- and that the Exploring Team, made up of laymen members and clergy, hopes for groundbreaking in the spring, with a completion goal of Easter 2016.

"This is a major step in our healing process," said the Rev. Jake Caldwell, pastor of the church. "It's been a challenging season, from the fire to trying to figure out what we'll do next. So, today gives us a great sense of accomplishment."

First Christian has about 600 members and has had its services at Third Baptist Church since October 2013. Before that, its services were at Journey Fellowship.

"We've been going place to place, and I am glad other churches opened up to us, but it'll be nice to finally get back home," said Maci Quisenberry, 17.

The Daviess County High School senior said she's most looking forward to seeing the stained glass again.

Choir director Mike Tichenor and his wife Janet said the transition has been "a different experience."

"I got the job right before the fire," he said. "It'll be interesting to see what our choir can do with the new space."

"The fellowship hall is one of my favorite parts of the design because fellowship is what we're all about," Janet Tichenor said.

Caldwell said the lobby area will also be a more open, "welcoming space so people will come in, know where to go easily and have that feeling of hospitality."

While the process is currently in the schematic design phase, next steps include design development, which will look more closely at nuances and details such as energy efficiency, and finishing blueprints by the end of the year, Everston said during the presentation.

"We want to capture the warmth of your church," he said. "We're on budget, we're on schedule and we know that you are the church, not the building, so we want to be sure it reflects you."

First Christian will continue to have worship and other services at Third Baptist until it reopens.

Angela Oliver, 691-7360, [email protected]

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