By the time Smyrna Presbyterian Church first gathered for Sunday worship in its newly-renovated sanctuary on June 21, the space was already well-used
A wedding was held there on June 19. A public grand opening of the space happened June 20.
In many ways, the congregation was picking up where it left off. Despite meeting elsewhere for nearly a year, church leaders say the construction did not greatly change the church’s life.
“‘Blessed disruption’ is a good way of putting it,” Joel Smit, the senior pastor, said a few weeks before the congregation started using the sanctuary. “Because of [the renovation] just shaking us from our normalcy and making us appreciate the things that oftentimes we took for granted: a building. But also the church is still the brothers and sisters that are around us, and that doesn’t change, no matter if we’re in a building or not in a building.”
A desire for church growth motivated the recent changes. On any given Sunday, the pews at Smyrna were packed. The renovations allowed for more space, and church leaders hope that in a few years the building will again be at maximum capacity. After that, the congregation may plant a new church, Smith said.
The extra seats may fill up quickly. During the renovations, the congregation met at Reformed Theological Seminary Atlanta’s nearby campus. Even though the church had to pause Sunday School, worship attendan
ce did not dwindle; instead, it grew. New people found the church, and there was a new members class composed exclusively of people who had never set foot in the church’s permanent building.
The renovations were just another reminder of God’s faithfulness during a long history of ministry, and the building project represented another way church members could use their gifts.
Founded in 1914, Smyrna Pres was one of the original congregations that formed the PCA and hosted the denomination’s fifth General Assembly was held at the church. The congregation moved to its current location, a 10-acre property in Atlanta suburbs, in the 1960s. Over the years, the church built several additions, all connected to the main sanctuary through breezeways. The layout could make it difficult for church members to gather after the services; most conversations happened while standing around church pews.
The renovation was meant to do two things: add more space to the sanctuary and create an expanded area in the back of the sanctuary that connects the various parts of the building while also providing space for people to gather before and after services. The project involved building a one-story addition to the sanctuary that created a place for people to gather. In addition to gathering space, rhis open area off of the narthex has a coffee bar with seating, restrooms, and an outdoor patio.
The intent was to make the structure “feel like one campus, one building now, rather than multiple buildings connected by hallways,” said Smit.
That wasn’t the only way the project brought the church together. It also allowed different members to use their skills, ranging from project management to art.
Planning for the $4 million building project began in 2023. The capital campaign launched in 2024. The church named it the Window Campaign, a reference to the large window in the sanctuary and to God’s promise in Malachi 3:10 that if the Israelites faithfully tithed, God would “open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
“The campaign was really for just regular, faithful giving of tithes and offerings,” said Smit. He and the church’s session knew that even though the building project would be a big undertaking, they did not want it to become their church’s focus.
“Generosity is not distinguished by how much, but how faithful we are to give,” he said.
This meant finding ways for church members to be actively involved in the design of the project.
Daniel Powell jokes that he would have been slightly offended if he had not been asked to chair the church’s building committee. Powell served for six years as a deacon and has worked in construction management for 25 years.
“It just felt like a natural progression on how I can serve the church and use my gifts and my knowledge in the design and construction industry and help steward the resources that the Lord’s given,” he said.
As building committee chair, he helped others use their skills, too. The 10-person committee included people with professional experience in finance and real estate. Shortly before moving back into the renovated facility, the church held a work day; everyone played a role in preparing the renovated building.
Church members’ artistic skills are on full display in the final project. Artwork and photos from artists and photographers in the congregation adorn the walls. A church couple with expertise in pottery crafted the new baptismal fond.
“Part of the purpose of the church is equipping the saints for ministry, and that ministry goes far beyond just preaching, teaching, serving in the nursery,” said Smit.
It also went beyond the members of Smyrna Pres. An elder at a nearby PCA church crafted the new pulpit. The project’s general contractor, Lusk Commercial Contractors Ltd., has worked on several churches in the Atlanta area and has several Christians on staff.
Tyler White, Lusk’s vice president of operations, says working on churches reminds him why he works in construction. He has always enjoyed watching people appreciate and use the buildings he has been part of making. His goal is to always build with others with a purpose, and it is easy to see what that purpose is when working on a church.
“[Giving them] the possibility of adding to their congregation and the growth of their church, it’s nice knowing that I had a little bit of a part of that,” he said.
Powell can already see the possibilities for growth. The old sanctuary was good, but dated, he said. He hopes the renovation makes the building look more inviting to people in the community. The new back porch will be used for musicians during an annual festival.
His daughters’ response has given him all the encouragement he needs. When his family started attending the church nearly 14 years ago, his two eldest were four and two, and the youngest not yet born. Now, his daughters are pre-teens and teenagers. He can already picture the youth group gathering in the new fellowship hall. So can they.
He gave his girls a tour of the building a few weeks before the grand opening.
“Their eyes just popped.”