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closeChurch wants to expand its body, heart
Calvary Community Church submits plans to the city for a new sanctuary to accommodate, better serve its congregation
Roxanne Cooke
Approximately 5,000 local residents call Calvary Community Church their home, according to executive pastor Scott Barringer.
Almost 3,000 of those churchgoers attend services on any given weekend, Barringer said. Because the church only seats about 700, it accommodates the large number of people by hosting six services on the weekend.
“We would like to bring that down,” he said.
The church has submitted proposed plans to the city for a new two-story sanctuary, with hopes of reducing the number of services to three.
Though the plans are in the beginning stages, the proposed development would include a 51,500 square foot sanctuary two stories high with an estimated 1,527 seats, said Carolyn Back, associate planner for Tacoma-based BCRA, the multidisciplinary design firm in charge of the project. The footprint of the proposed building would be approximately 36,800 square feet.
The church is waiting for a conditional use permit, required for a church in a residential zone, Back said. It’s also awaiting approval for a height exception, which would allow the sanctuary to be built up to 50 feet — this exception is allowed for churches and schools in residential zones. Once the conditional use permit is approved, the firm can begin working with the church to design the sanctuary, then submit a building permit.
The proposed plans include potential future expansions to the sanctuary as well, Back said. When the sanctuary is complete, a total of 934 off-street parking stalls would be available; after all of the expansions in the plan take place, 94 stalls would be removed, leaving 840.
It’s not just a matter of growth, Barringer said. The goal is to better accommodate and take care of its members.
“Every church grows,” he said. “The real reason is to manage and effectively take care of the people who are here. We’ve never about buildings. This is about the needs of people.”
The church has had a positive impact on the community, Barringer said. It’s actively involved in the Sk8 Park volunteer group as well as Sumner School District Teen Late Night events that aim to keep teens off the streets and away from drugs and crime.
Calvary Community Church wants to be a church that is a blessing to the community at an individual level, he said.
“That kind of message is resonating with people,” Barringer said. “And it’s making a change in this valley.”
Calvary Community Church is located at 15116 Gary St. E. in Sumner.