Category: Architecture

After 10 years of serving as a priest in an established Coptic Orthodox Church in Northern Virginia, Father Anthony Messeh felt a strong call to start a church that invited people from all backgrounds to join the rich spiritual legacy of the Coptic church. Father Anthony shared his call with his senior priest, then the bishop, and ultimately received the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria’s approval and blessing on December 11, 2011. In 2012 St. Timothy and St. Athanasius (STSA) Church was launched.

Many churches intertwine spiritual and cultural practices and traditions. Father Anthony believes that “The church should have no one culture above another.” De-emphasizing the ethnic and cultural elements of the Coptic Orthodox Church frees others to join in and be blessed by a faith that Father Anthony calls “the best-kept secret.” In a region like Northern Virginia, this makes it easier for persons of Egyptian heritage to invite their spouses, friends, and neighbors who come from other ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

A key part of this strategy is a second service each Sunday called “The Well.” After the traditional liturgy each Sunday, the congregation pauses to “break fast” together (Coptic Orthodox Christians fast for at least 9 hours before taking communion each Sunday). They then reconvene for a time of worship with contemporary music and a sermon from Father Anthony. Some who are new to the Coptic church learn to know the community by attending these hour-long services. You can check out Father Anthony’s sermons from “The Well” on STSA’s YouTube channel.

Father Anthony also started STSA Ministries to provide resources and encouragement to Orthodox leaders in other parts of North America who are also trying to bring an ancient faith to their modern world.

Currently, STSA Church meets in rented facilities in Arlington, Virginia. Blueline designed a new church building for STSA that has both a traditional Orthodox sanctuary and a contemporary “black box” auditorium with the capability to broadcast services to other locations. The facility also includes Sunday School classrooms, offices, a kitchen, and a roof-top gathering area. The church is anxious to move into its facility in early 2022.

“Having a permanent place of worship is vital to authentic Orthodox worship,” says Father Anthony. From the iconostasis to vestments to the use of incense and Holy Communion elements, the liturgy is full of symbols and stimulation for the senses, all aimed at celebrating the glory, power, and mystery of Jesus Christ. The contemporary worship venue will allow the church to live-stream to other locations. Orthodox Churches throughout North America can log into “The Well” service after their local liturgy. STSA also plans to host conferences and make their space available to other groups for meetings and celebrations.

When I asked Father Anthony what this ancient faith has to offer our modern world, he quickly responded, “Our ancient faith has solutions to all the problems of this world.” Father Anthony goes on to explain that we live in a world of unknowns, with lots of questions people cannot answer. Each Sunday, the liturgy celebrates a God who is both unknowable and mysterious yet has not left us alone. It recounts the Good News of God’s saving act in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His abiding presence in the Holy Spirit. And the liturgy tells the stories of Saints through the ages who bear witness to a God that sustains us in a troubled world.

Blueline is grateful and honored to serve STSA and deliver a building that amplifies their mission to bring an Ancient Faith to a Modern World.

One of our clients has a sign posted in their foyer near where they serve coffee that says, “It’s not a meeting if there is no eating.”  For many churches, food is the fuel of fellowship. Of the many things we miss in the age of COVID-19, sharing a cup of coffee or a meal together, at church, is near the top of the list.

Planning for how and where we serve food in our church buildings can be a challenging part of the overall design process. First, kitchens are expensive. They have a high concentration of utilities – plumbing, gas, HVAC – which makes the cost per square foot up to 50% higher than other areas of the church. Depending on capacity and quality, kitchen equipment can be a significant part of a project budget.  In addition, building codes continue to roll out more and more measures to protect the health and safety of those who prepare, serve, and consume food in a church building. These technical factors combined with the passion many of us have for food and fellowship can make finding the right balance of capacity, functionality and cost difficult.

Twenty years of experience equips Blueline to help churches get the most out of their kitchens. Here are some lessons learned that can bring clarity to designing your food service areas:

“Commercial” vs. “Warming” — Churches usually describe the type of kitchen they want in one of these two terms.  A commercial kitchen allows a church to cook food that generates grease, requiring a hood over any cooking surface or oven. This hood must have its own exhaust as well as make-up air.  Production kitchens also need 3-compartment sinks connected to a grease interceptor with water at 140 degrees. Dishwashers must be high-temperature or use chemical sanitation.  Food prepared for commercial purposes, including fundraising, trigger building code requirements that, in turn, require commercial grade equipment and construction.

Warming kitchens typically employ residential-grade appliances. Food activities include warming items in a microwave, crockpot, range, or stove.  Large, commercial grade convection ovens can typically be used for warming bread, pastries, etc. as long the reheating does not generate grease. Typically, we specify ample outlets and counter space for people to bring crockpots and provide multiple microwaves. A warming kitchen can also be a place for caterers to set up for an event that is being catered.

Building Codes vs. Health Department — The building code may be different than the requirements of your local health department. Churches are typically exempt from Health Department certification and inspections unless they are running a daycare or pre-school.

Flexibility — when the budget allows, utilizing stainless steel tables, shelving, and racks, rather than building permanent cabinets and countertops, allows for easier reconfiguration as use of the kitchen changes over time. Having some of the tables and shelving on castors allows groups to change the set up depending on the type of preparation need.

Workflow — There are time-tested ways for optimizing how people preparing and serving food move around the kitchen. It begins with a one-way flow with separate doors for entering and exiting the kitchen. The chart below shows a basic circulation diagram.

Other specialties that may be included in the kitchen are coffee production areas where large quantities of coffee are brewed and distributed to coffee service areas throughout the church. Churches that celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday often need a place to prepare the elements and store the trays, cups and platters associated with this sacrament. (This assumes there is no Sacristy.)

Also, do not forget the trash. Try to minimize the distance trash needs to be carried from the kitchen to dumpsters or outside trash cans. Recyclable materials – glass, plastic, cardboard, and compost – can take up a good deal of space. If carts are used for moving prepared food and/or dirty dishes, a space may be needed to wash the carts.

Size — A 20’ by 30’ (600 square feet) kitchen is ample size for a warming kitchen that serves several hundred people. A room this size can have worksurfaces and equipment around the perimeter with area for a 4’ wide by 10’ long island in the middle. A 15’ x 10’ room can accommodate storage of serving areas, dry goods, and bulk food items. The same footprint can work for a production kitchen depending on the amount of equipment and people working at one time.

Serving Windows — Some churches use serving windows for setting out food. This limits food service to one line.  Serving from tables outside the kitchen allows two (or more) lines. It also frees up walls space in the kitchen for cabinets and shelving. Serving windows can be tricky to deal with if the kitchen must be enclosed with a fire-rated wall. Finally, eliminating the service window means there is no messy view from the dining/ fellowship area into the kitchen.

Kitchens are complex and expensive. Additionally, no two projects are alike. These are but a few of the many details Blueline can guide you through to discover the kitchen that best amplifies your hospitality ministry.