Insights & Information

Kids Street Worship Center plans taking shape

Sometime in late summer or early fall, 3-D cars, house, church, bridge, street, sun and more will transform the current sanctuary into Kids Street Worship Center every Sunday.

With special end-of-year giving covering the cost, Executive and Children's Pastor Tim Gerber said that the next step is picking from among three firms specializing in worship spaces for children.

Kids Street Childrens Ministry postcard

That decision could come as early as next month with the first drawings of the new space in March or early April and the grand opening of the new set in August or September after a week-long installation following Vacation Bible School.

“When we go to two services as projected in late spring and move into the new Worship Center/Gym, we'll have outgrown our current Kids Street worship location immediately so we'll be having Kids Street Church in the current sanctuary on day one,” Gerber said. “Even though we’ll have the drawings out earlier, that will be nothing like seeing it all come together live and for the first time.”

Gerber said that the new set won’t go up until after Vacation Bible School to give the VBS set construction team all the time and space it needs to prepare.

The projected $81,000 cost for the project includes design, construction and installation of the set, purchase of a new soundboard, wireless microphones and iPad for remote control, chairs, screens and software for digital puppetry, reworking the current stage to a more neutral floor covering, and converting the connector entrance into the main gateway into Kids Street Worship Center.

Assistant Children’s Ministry Director and TBCA Campus Pastor Austin Needham said the renovation project is another major milestone in the ministry, which held its first Children’s Church service in 1994.

“The Kids Street Worship Center upfit is going to give us a more inviting environment, put us more central to the flow of the church, and allow us to use today’s technology and media to foster interactivity and involve kids as they worship and realize the vision of Kids Street Children’s Ministry, which is to ultimately reach more children for Christ,” Needham said. “With more than 100 children expected in each of the two services, we will still have the space to double both groups, and beyond.”

Seating for 200 and a multi-use approach

The upfit replaces the pews in the first eight rows of both center sections with 200 chairs set off from the surrounding seating with a pipe and drape system. Triad's Executive Leadership Team and deacons approved the plans Jan. 16—adding nearly $21,000 (also covered by end-of-year giving) to replace the rest of the pews with chairs on the main floor for multi-use flexibility.

After Sundays, the pipe-and-drape walls of the Kids Street Worship Center will be removed and Kids Street design elements concealed for weddings, Wednesday night services, baptisms and other uses.

Gerber said that design of the Kids Street Children’s Church logo and “Where friends find faith” theme figured large in the desire to create a new worship environment.

“It really began with the concept of the logo first which led to the idea to make the theme come alive and be the large signature element of the worship space,” he said.

Design must haves

Gerber said that any design had to:

  • Uniquely and visually represent what Kids Street means.
  • Make the space feel smaller without hampering the ability to transition to other uses.
  • Use existing lighting, audio and video.
  • Integrate the puppet ministry into the set itself.

“We’re very excited about these changes and know they will greatly enhance the impact of our ministry and its relevance by using today’s technology and practices to reach kids where they are,” Gerber said.

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