Suncreek's dynamic membership growth has resulted in crowded facilities.   In May 2002, the congregation enthusiastically and sacrificially responded with pledges of almost 1.3 million dollars toward the construction of a new building.  We broke ground for this building on May 11, 2003, and the building opened April 4, 2004.  The building includes a 450-seat sanctuary, five offices, an adult classroom, and seven additional children’s classrooms.  The project also included additional parking, a turn lane on McDermott Drive, landscaping, painting the exterior of existing buildings, and purchasing land.  The cost of the entire project was about 2.1 million dollars. 

The sanctuary seating is composed of wood pews.  The sanctuary includes seven stained glass windows.  In 2005, we conducted a Special Giving Campaign to raise funds to purchase an organ console and other organ components for the sanctuary.   

In April 2005, we reached an agreement with the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist church to purchase 6 acres at $40,000 an acre.  They had been holding this land until we could afford to make this purchase.  This completed our acquisition of land for our 12-acre site. A revised master plan was approved by the congregation in May 2006.  In late 2007, we completed construction on 175 additional parking spaces.  

In the Spring of 2007, church members pledged about 1.5 million dollars in a Capital Campaign to fund our next building. In October 2007, the church approved $3,050,000 in funding for this building, the adjacent esplanade, and renovations to the existing building. The new building will include many more classrooms for our children and a few new classrooms for adults (shown as building B below).  Construction of this building is expected to begin in early 2008 with completion by early 2009. (The long-term plan is to covert many of the rooms in building B into offices for our staff and adult classrooms after construction is completed on Buildings C & D .)   Click here to learn more about our next building.

The long-term hopes and dreams of the congregation include a final sanctuary that seats in excess of 1000 (Building E)   Many persons would like to see a traditional chapel with seating for about 150 and a center isle  (Building F) .  We seek to construct innovative education space for our children, youth, and adults that is used for Sunday School and other ministries throughout the week.  (Education space is planned on both stories of Building C and the second floor of Building D.) We will build facilities that support our dynamic and varied music ministries (ground level of Building D).  We hope to build a gymnasium with recreation facilities for all ages (in Building C).   Many have expressed a desire to see inviting gardens and green space interspersed around the buildings.

Building the ministry facilities needed for our growing church is a challenge.  It takes time and great care to design facilities that match the needs and mission of the church.  We seek to create sacred space where there is a place for all persons who walk through our doors.  The members of Suncreek UMC have enthusiastically responded to this challenge.   

In late 2004 and early 2005, the Suncreek UMC Building Committee interviewed potential architects.  The committee was quite pleased that many of the areas most respected architects displayed a strong interest in working with our church.  At the conclusion of the interview process, the committee was unanimous in their selection of an architect. 

In late February 2005, the Suncreek UMC Administrative Board accepted the recommendation of the Building Committee that we hire Oglesby-Green Architecture & Planning to revise our Master Plan and complete detailed drawings of our next building, which will be educational space.   Joe M. McCall, FAIA is one of the principal architects for the firm.  He is an Award winning architect with a great breadth of experience.  His projects include NorthPark Presbyterian Church, the Trammel Crow Visitor Education Pavilion at the Dallas Arboretum, West Love Field Branch of the Dallas Public Library, Dallas Police Memorial, Pegasus Plaza, and renovation of the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. 

He designed Montgomery Farm, a multi-phase mixed-use community in Allen along Bethany Dr. between Alma and I-75.  He worked on renovations to the Fair Park Hall of State and is currently designing renovations and additions to Texas Discovery Gardens.   He was the architect for the Animal Health Care Facility at the Dallas Zoo and recently completed working on the Asian Otter Exhibit, Interactive Bird Exhibit, and a Conservation Education and Science Center.   Joe is truly a first-rate artist and architect.   

Questions related to the Building Committee can be directed to Chris Jones (Building@suncreekumc.org).

Links 
An Architecture Week article that includes information about a mosque designed by Oglesby-Green.
A Listing of the firm's awards
A number of other publication links

Parking Construction

Construction was completed on our parking project in early 2008. It includes 175 more parking spaces, two entry areas on Suncreek Dr., a gravel road that will connect existing parking to Suncreek Dr. (roughly south of the current gravel road).

 

New Parking Areas and Connecting Road

In mid-February 2008, the Building Committee and our architect completed the final plans for our next building. (Building B above is our next building.)  A Ground Breaking Celebration was held in March. Construction began in May 2008. The building is currently scheduled for completion in early March 2009.