Medina United Methodist Church
Medina, Ohio

Project Background

The former church was located in downtown Medina, Ohio. The church had outgrown this facility filling three services and there wasn’t available land around the church for expansion. The building was old, inefficient and costly to heat and cool. Accessibility was a major issue since there had been several additions that utilized multiple stairwells.

The church had hired a local builder to design and build the new church. After many years working on the design, the church found the builder did not meet their expectations. They had an extremely tight budget and builder could not deliver the requirements they needed. The church then brought in 10 building companies to bid on the new 40,000 sq.ft. church. Craven Construction was awarded the project.

Craven was able to bring the project in on-time and on-budget with even more square footage than originally specified.

Design Requirements & Ministry Needs

This was a challenging project since the church had already undergone the design process with another builder. Our design team had to be creative to meet all the church needs within the budget.

Craven Construction assisted the church in locating and acquiring a 24-acre parcel of land outside of the city that provided room for future expansion.

This facility served both the congregation and the community with both a preschool and a food pantry. Keeping these areas separate and secure was an important part of the facility layout. The original design had the offices to the left of the facility. We saw the need to relocate the church staff to the center of the facility to maintain better control of the church and preschool.

The church construction and financing were overseen by a former commercial banker who worked closely with the Craven team. At the finish of the project, the banker commented that this was the first construction company that he had ever worked with that was able to meet all the project requirements without going over budget.

Sanctuary with Seating for 400, Offices, Classrooms, Full Kitchen and Narthex Fellowship Space with Café

One of the primary needs of this church was for flexible spaces that can be used for both fellowship and social gatherings. Craven designed and built a modern narthex with a large café that provided a gathering area and managed the flow of congregants between the traditional and contemporary services. A gymnasium/fellowship hall was planned for future expansion.

A Preschool for 200 Children

The church offered both a morning and afternoon preschool program that required 15,000 sq.ft of classroom space to accommodate 200 children.

Community Food Pantry with Separate Entrance

The Medina UMC outreach program includes a food pantry that required a separate outside entrance.

Youth Ministry Requirements

The youth ministry had a large room with a pool table, coffee, concessions, and a planned future gymnasium.

Music Ministry Requirements

Music is a big part of the UMC worship ministry. The church featured special acoustic design for both a pipe organ and bell choir in addition to large storage areas for instruments.

Historical Features: Pipe Organ & Stained Glass

Multiple features from the old church were incorporated into the new church design. We relocated the pipe organ and incorporated a lot of the original stained glass. The glass was cleaned and re-leaded before being installed.

Architectural Features: 50ft Steeple

Craven designed and constructed a 50ft tall steeple with exterior lighting that reflected off the stained glass creating both an inviting and awe-inspiring landmark at night.

Property Features: Pond

The church wanted to make use of a pond that was on the 24-acre property they had purchased. Craven designed windows along the full backside of the sanctuary looking out at the pond.

Energy Savings

With creative design, we were able to build the highest efficient facility with the lowest possible operating costs, over 50% energy savings from the old church.