St. Stephen Lutheran Church

Liberty, Missouri

New worship space for a growing Lutheran community on a prominent hilltop site that maximizes the sprawling views of their “Mission Field” while creating a sacred environment

Working closely with the Church Building Committee, the design team explored options for creating an expandable worship space. One option involved creation of a temporary worship space which would convert to a narthex once a permanent worship space was added. Another option explored creating a worship space now that could be expanded to accommodate growth of the congregation. A new worship space was created to meet both current and future space requirements. Rather than overbuild the worship space at this time, classrooms were provided in space that will eventually convert to worship space when the capacity is needed. The new worship space takes advantage of the site’s hilltop views with expansive windows for natural light and a vertical tower element that is visible for miles. The natural light bathing the worship space creates an environment that is continually in animation through the changing position of the sun.