21st-century church: vast, plain, informal

On a two-lane country road near Clayton, a huge brick and steel edifice is rising out of the earth. It's not a shopping center or a school, though it resembles a little of both.

It's a church, minus most of the trappings.

When completed next month, it will have no stained-glass windows, pews or an organ -- just a plain 98-foot steel cross to the right of the entrance. Cleveland Community Church, known as "c3," is a contemporary church, and its new, 82,618-square-foot building is an example of the kind of church architecture being built in the Triangle and across the South.

Unlike the cathedrals of centuries past, whose loftiness and splendor were designed to convey other-worldliness, today's churches are designed to attract people suspicious of high-toned religiosity and uncomfortable with icons and symbols.

Cleveland Community's 2,000-seat worship center is intended to look much like a performing arts center. It will have four projection screens, a high-tech video booth, a "green room" for guests waiting backstage and a loading dock for stage props.

But its main attraction might be the extras: a cafe with Starbucks Coffee, a bookstore open to the public seven days a week and an indoor children's play space a la McDonald's.

"We want this to be a place where people build community and relationships," said Matt Fry, c3's pastor.

While churches such as Duke Chapel or even Christ Episcopal Church in Raleigh boldly announce their sacred purpose with pointed arches, stone carvings or bell towers, this church eschews those symbols.

The idea is to avoid any negative connotations people might have with spires or steeples.

"We want it to be in line with other places they go, whether it's Starbucks or the mall or a community center," said Brad Oaster, a Colorado Springs, Colo., church developer who helped guide the construction of Hope Community Church in Raleigh in 2005.

Another reason for avoiding the old-world grandeur and craftsmanship is that such luxuries are neither practical nor affordable, especially when lay people want their money to be used to help the poor and disenfranchised.

"I always tell people, your primary objective is accountability and stewardship," said Lloyd Dillon, president of Dillon Construction Group in Raleigh, which specializes in church building.

Multipurpose centers

Dillon, who helped build Hope Community Church, said the idea behind most contemporary churches is to build multipurpose centers, welcoming not only to church members but also to the larger community. At Hope Community, for example, the church has wireless Internet access in its cafe and a lounge with washers and dryers -- now used primarily by single mothers.

Functionality is the goal of many of these churches, said UNC-Chapel Hill art historian Dorothy Verkerk. Where people once wanted churches to give them a glimpse of heaven, today's families prefer a safe environment where children can watch "Veggie Tales" or other movies with religious themes.

Even mainline denominations -- United Methodists and Presbyterians -- are incorporating the ideas of contemporary "seeker" church designs that aim for big box auditoriums over old-world artistry.

Still, not all large churches fit the contemporary mold. The Triangle's largest church, Colonial Baptist in Cary, is more traditional-looking, with a red-brick facade, fanlights and dormer windows. But even in this church, which encompasses a whopping 160,000 square feet, worship takes place in a gym.

One Triangle church that is going a different route is Umstead Park United Church of Christ. A small, liberal Christian church, Umstead Park partnered with an architectural firm to buy a former medical supply building near Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The 32,000-square-foot building features a common entrance and a shared conference room.

But it's different in another way. The church and the architectural firm, BBH Design, sought an environmental designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. They have renovated the building to make the best use of earth-friendly materials, including recycled carpets laid down without glue, high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning systems, low-flow toilets and natural light.

"Most churches want to keep light out," said Doug Long, pastor of Umstead Park United, formerly North Raleigh United Church of Christ. "We want to have more light. The more connected we are to the Creator of the natural world, the better."

Still, even with its many windows, the worship hall in a converted warehouse space is stripped of icons and has a plain, almost generic feel to it. Though the church has plans to do more, it first must find the money.

Financial constraints

Monetary concerns are a big issue for churches.

"This is a large project for a young church," said Fry, c3's pastor, referring to his church's $12 million price. Though the nine-year-old church is drawing 2,300 people a weekend, it will likely take a decade to draw down the debt.

Meanwhile, the church already has plans for the next expansion, which will allow it to add 500 seats to the worship center and a pond out back.

"Fifteen years ago, you could name on one hand the number of churches with 1,000 seats," said Dillon, the church builder. "Now there are a dozen churches that seat more than 1,000 people in the Triangle alone."