The Church of the ... Office Park?
Reflecting a trend said to be occurring well beyond Petaluma, several of the city’s Christian churches are finding homes in often nondescript office and industrial buildings that bear little resemblance to the traditional steeple-topped buildings of the past.
The willingness to embrace those spaces comes with several benefits, like lowering the cost of entry for newer ministries and allowing some to pursue a unique approach tailored to a particular audience, according to leaders from several of those congregations in Petaluma.
The trend reflects a broader movement where churches are becoming increasingly flexible as they seek to grow and serve their congregations, particularly in densely developed areas where options for new and existing development can be scarce, expensive or both, those leaders said.
“I think the trend is, the church is not made by its building, it’s made by its people,” said Pastor Edwin Guzman, whose Iglesia Cristiana Shalom Elohim relocated from a tiny Petaluma office to part of a commercial building on Industrial Avenue in 2013.
Several churches in Petaluma have made a home in such spaces, with Sunday attendance ranging from around 20 people to congregations exceeding 500.
Among the current examples in the city is Calvary Chapel, a 20-year-old ministry that has shared a South McDowell Boulevard industrial building with its neighbor and landlord, Adobe Road Winery, for nearly 10 years, said Senior Pastor Zach Vestnys.
The church actually owned land outside of Petaluma when seeking a new home 10 years ago, but ultimately sold the property after determining the expense of constructing a new building at the site outweighed the benefits, he said.
“New building can be really difficult. It’s such a long and expensive process, most churches find it cost-prohibitive,” he said. “A lot of churches are rethinking, is that the best way to use those resources?”
The location has proven to work well with surrounding businesses, as the majority of church activities have occurred outside of regular business hours, the pastor said.
“I think one of the things that works out so well with that kind of use is that it compliments other uses,” he said, and that “rather than building new buildings in some of the outlying areas, it fills in existing vacancies.”
The landlord, Adobe Road Winery, echoed those sentiments.
“Their ‘busy’ times are opposite of our regular office hours, so there are not any problems with parking or similar. They keep the location very neat and tidy. They pay on time. The people in the offices are wonderful to work with. All good,” said Debra Buckler, the winery’s manager, in an email.
Dave Weidlich, founding pastor of The Vine Church of Petaluma, also said his congregation has enjoyed a harmonious relationship with neighbors. His church was founded in 2012, and occupies part of the Industrial Avenue building that now also includes Iglesia Cristiana Shalom Elohim.
The modern space and its amenities have allowed him to focus more on the church itself, rather than managing a building, he said. He recounted the sort of congregations described in biblical times as meeting in small groups in homes and other intimate settings.
“The model of purchasing a big piece of land and helping a young church build early on is a failed model,” he said. “Now we see the importance of building the congregation first, and then to focus on the building.”
Not all churches in such spaces are tenants. Several significant donations allowed 360 Church of Petaluma to purchase the 8-acre former headquarters of North Bay Construction off of Lindberg Lane in 2012, a property costing a total of $8.2 million, said Colton Irving, founding pastor.
The location has given room for the six-year-old congregation to grow to around 400 individuals, with room for sports activities, worship, smaller meetings and offices, he said. The church has invested around $1 million in remodeling the site, much of that from donated materials of labor.
The location has room for further growth in the future, he said.
“This is like a campus,” Irving said. “I originally wanted the church to be downtown, but now that we’re here, I’m glad we didn’t.”
Founded in 1998, New Life Church purchased the former Yardbirds Home Center headquarters on Clegg Street in 2007 for approximately $5 million, said founding pastor Ron Hunt. The 35,000-square-foot building includes a large stage and related amenities that support its use as a frequent host for community events, and has also been outfitted with the means to serve as an emergency shelter, he said.
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