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In the northern panhandle of Idaho, just 65 miles south of the Canadian border, a very remarkable church stands in a relatively small community. The 41-foot tall, 32,000 square foot steel building with the metal steeple provided by Capital Steel Industries provides a sanctuary for residents to worship, a safe place for students to “hang out” after school and a convenient location with plenty of space for large group gatherings.
USA Today and National Geographic Adventure have referred to Sandpoint, Idaho (pop. 8,100) as “Rockwellian” and “idyllic.” Visitors and residents alike are enchanted by Sandpoint’s neighborly, Hometown, USA-feel and the abundance of pristine lakes, forests and mountains. Some locals have even compared the sense of community and caring to scenes from the Frank Capra classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
By all indications, that statement may contain more truth than fiction. The population has expanded significantly over the course of the last 15 to 20 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Embracing a mission to “reach outward,” the members at First Christian Church of Sandpoint realized their church would need to grow architecturally, as well as congregationally, if it was to provide a place of spiritual growth and refuge while meeting the needs of a burgeoning community.
Pastor Tony Nelson has been shepherding the flock at First Christian Church since 1994. With nearly 10 percent of the local population attending Sunday services regularly, the need for a larger church had been obvious for quite some time.
“As our ministry grew and nearly 200 people regularly attended each of the two Sunday services, we literally couldn’t fit any more people in the old church building. Now we comfortably seat about 700 congregants at Sunday services and our plans still include room for expansion,” Nelson says enthusiastically.
According to the Pastor, attendance has almost doubled since holding the first service in the new church building.
“We didn’t build a huge church just for the sake of it,” Nelson continues. “Our mission keeps us looking outward. If we are to accomplish what we feel God wants us to do, we determined that we would simply need more space.”
In addition o ample sanctuary space, the plans included office space, a large nursery and a welcoming foyer. A 5,600 square foot multipurpose area and space for a fully appointed commercial kitchen are located in the southern wing of the church, and the old worship building is now used for youth classes and meetings.
“When people come into our church, they always say, ‘There’s a sanctuary and a gym in here? It doesn’t look that big from the street!’” says Nelson.
Aside from the functional requirements, the goal was to create an inviting and comfortable place to gather. According to the Pastor, when people step inside, “they don’t even realize it’s a steel building.”
“Many churches are choosing to build with steel, which is a sound choice,” Nelson continues. “But sometimes the interior is very utilitarian.” Nelson laughs warmly and adds, “Not ours! We envisioned a church that gives people the feeling they are walking into a backyard barbeque in the spring.”
When First Christian Church partnered with Capital Steel Industries in 2003, the church’s structural design more than met Sandpoint’s local building codes and the construction schedule was planned around the region’s snowy winters.
“Here in Idaho, the buildings have to be stout to support a high snow and wind load,” says church Elder, building committee member and General Contractor Dan Shupp. “I’ve helped put up buildings using traditional construction materials and also steel. There is a lot to be said for both types of materials and it’s my experience that a Capital Steel building is an excellent choice, structurally and financially.”
With winter temperatures averaging around 20 degrees and summer temps in the 80’s, incorporating the required structural support for efficient heating and cooling systems was definitely an important part of the building design process.
“Not only did we have 4 feet of standing snow on our roof last winter, we have 10 HVAC units up there. That’s a lot of weight,” says Shupp. “We never doubted the structural capacity of our building because the local construction team and the corporate team at Capital Steel designed our church to exceed local building codes.”
The Pastor and members of the congregation are “extremely pleased” with their Capital Steel building.
“We built our church as the weather and available funds permitted,” Shupp emphasizes. “It was important that we didn’t borrow more money than we had to, so we completed the project in phases.”
After pouring the concrete foundation, the congregation waited out the winter and then began erecting the steel structure. While waiting for another winter to pass, the construction team completed the interior of the church and by early summer, the congregation began worshipping in their new church building.
“Many people come in and say it’s the prettiest and most functional church they’ve ever seen,” adds Pastor Nelson.
“It was a really neat experience to see this church go up,” Shupp affirms. “When building a project this size, it’s important to have a good company behind you. That’s what makes the difference.”
If you are planning to make a difference with your next building project, Capital Steel can help you design a church, a fellowship hall or even a commercial building. For more information or for a free church building quote, call Capital Steel Industries at 1-800-246-9640.
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