
All images: The Adams Group
When Threshold Church in Weddington, N.C., was looking to create its new space, it wanted a look that was non-threatening to welcome all. Dr. Jeff Gardner, lead pastor for Threshold Church, says he was looking for something completely different from the normal church, something that expressed the personality of the church and community.
“Initially, we had an intense two-day meeting between our staff and Doug DeChant, an award-winning architect from Colorado,” he says. “Doug asked us all about who we are—our mission and vision, our personality, our desires. With that information, Doug returned home and wrote up a very thorough and accurate summary, and sketched out an artist’s rendering which was extremely close to what now exists.”

Melissa Rusch-Tidwell, principal of Adams Group Architects, Charlotte N.C., notes the firm was brought in to collaborate with DeChant once he developed a conceptual plan. Together, the two worked through the various design and code requirements, engineering challenges and cost considerations that propelled the project forward.
The barn was slated for demolition but was reclaimed and reconstructed in the worship space.
It was also important that the church pay tribute and make use of a barn first built in Minnesota in the mid-1800s. The barn was slated for demolition but was reclaimed and reconstructed in the worship space.
Seed of an idea
“During the first meeting with Adams Group Architects, it was very clear that Pastor Gardner had a specific vision for the future facility. The entire Threshold team was very excited to create a new worship space by reusing the 130-year-old barn they had purchased which would tie back into their overall mission,” Rusch-Tidwell says. “The desire was to create a place that was intimate and approachable. It was understood that reusing the barn structure, accommodating the budget and code challenges would require many leaps of faith in order to move forward, but the church and the entire team was up for the challenge to create this unique facility.”

“The desire was to create a place that was intimate and approachable." Melissa Rusch-Tidwell, Principal, Adams Group Architects, Charlotte NC
Threshold established its church based on a story in scripture that serves as the visual foundation for its mission. It’s the story of four people who brought a paralyzed friend to Jesus, hoping that if they could get him in front of Jesus, he would be healed. When they arrived at the house where Jesus was teaching, they were unable to get in, so they climbed up on the flat roof, dug a hole in it, and lowered their friend down--right in front of Jesus. Jesus commended their faith and healed their friend. (Luke 5:17 – 24).
“Threshold Church made it very clear that their new facility should reflect the theme of renewal and rebirth associated with this scripture,” Rusch-Tidwell says. “The church had already spent significant time in prayer and discussion and knew that their new facility would have to instill [this] theme and mission.”

The original plan also had a large children’s wing so the Adams Group team worked closely with Hendrick Construction to manage the budget and it was determined that the children’s wing would be part of a future Phase II.
Getting to work
Threshold Church has a contemporary service filled with music and theatrical lighting which is central to their worship experience. They desired open and casual worship space that would have the ability to bring in natural light and nature along with allowing for theatrical lighting and optimal acoustics.

“Adams Group designed a large open lobby that can be used for a variety of functions, including receptions, galleries and meetings,” Rusch-Tidwell says. “The welcoming lobby leads to a café area that has access to a back terrace, in addition to a front patio with a fireplace that expands their gathering space into the outdoors. There are several meeting spaces and a dedicated prayer room. All of the areas are meant to embrace the rustic charm of the barn, with a contemporary edge.”
Utilizing the barn
The barn was the basis of the entire design of the church, tying it directly back to the church’s mission of renewal and rebirth.
“The exterior of the church is designed to replicate a barn, with the main entry adorned with a large roof overhand that offers ample space for gathering,” Rusch-Tidwell says. “The main entry connects with two adjacent front porches that the church has furnished with rocking chairs. The side porch leads to an open gathering patio that has an outdoor fireplace. This extensive outdoor space creates a welcoming feel, while providing extensive additional gathering space.”
The natural exterior color is similar to the original barn coordinating the interior and exterior elements. Upon entering the church, parishioners are met with a welcome center that has contemporary pendant lighting in front of a feature wall that is adorned from floor to ceiling with barn wood. The lobby is wide and has a high ceiling with ample lighting. The lobby extends to an open kitchen and café area that has access to the back terrace and front patio.
The lobby floors are finished with warm color LVP that complements the natural color of the barn wood. The worship area floor is sealed concrete. The side walls in the worship space have subtle acoustical treatments that do not detract from the beauty of the barn wood. The center stage has a solid back wall while the flanking sides have large windows so the wooded site is in full view.
“The exterior barn wood has been used throughout the building for aesthetic accents,” Gardner says. “The reclamation of the barn is a symbol for the reclamation of broken people by God in and through Jesus Christ. All are welcome. We are a family, and we welcome all to be a part of it.”
Rusch-Tidwell notes there were multiple challenges of this adaptive reuse. The first challenge was that the original barn structure did not meet current structural code requirements. The church had originally desired to use the barn framework as the supporting structure for the new facility. This was not possible. It was therefore determined to fortify the structure with modern steel reinforcement designed in symphony with original barn construction.

“In addition, the original barn came from Minnesota and was taken apart and stored on pallets for over a year,” she says. “The age of the barn meant that the wood had to be treated, and over time there is natural splitting that occurs with any aged wood. Approximately 30% of the wood was not usable.”
The original plan was to use all of the barn elements in the worship space to completely replicate the original structure. After several imaging sessions, it was determined for optimal sight lines, that several columns should be removed.
“This allowed our team to retain the majority of the barn feel without obstructing any views of the stage,” Rusch-Tidwell says. “The excess barn wood is used throughout the facility as ornamental details resulting is a pleasing structure visually while satisfying needed code requirements.”
AVL components
While services at Threshold Church include heavy use of AV elements, it was important that the equipment stay as unobtrusive as possible.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Clarity Inc. supplied the audio system. Doug Burns, owner of Clarity, says the company installed Danley Audio Labs SBH-10 column speakers with the Paraline lens for the ability to cover the wide space with just a pair of speakers.
The extremely tight, 10-degree vertical dispersion helps keep sound information off the walls....
The extremely tight, 10-degree vertical dispersion helps keep sound information off the walls, which is essential in a space with a lot of reflective surfaces such as glass. Also, the 140-degree horizontal dispersion was perfect for covering the wide but shallow seating area.

“The SBH-10 sounds excellent at low volumes for intimate music, and yet can be pushed hard to get any level of output needed in a space this size,” Burns says. “For the low end we used Danley TH-118 Tapped Horn subwoofers. Their unique Tapped Horn design allows you to get enormous output from a single 18-inch driver, all while being extremely accurate and musical. We powered all this with a single four-channel Danley DNA 10k4 power amplifier via a digital signal from the console.”
The internal DSP of the Danley amplifiers was all that was needed to perform complex speaker processing in the system.
“The mixing console provided was the Allen & Heath SQ-6 digital mixing system, which can be expanded to include personal monitoring for the band, as well as multitrack recording,” Burns says. “It can also be set up for a volunteer to easily use it, while at the same time a technician can dive deeply into its features.”
Clarity also did an extensive acoustical design for the space, using traditional 2-inch panels on the walls and then custom-painted foam panels for the ceiling.
Finally, a digital stage box was added that communicates via a single Cat6 cable, virtually eliminating analog audio snakes.
Final result
The completed Phase 1 project consists of the worship space, a warming kitchen and café, a large multipurpose lobby, restrooms, a family restroom, two meeting rooms, a prayer room and a meeting/flex room. Outdoor gathering areas are also part of the first phase.
“Once a month, I spend 30 minutes with newcomers after our worship service. I always ask them why they came and why they came back. The answers have become predictable—a warm welcome, a family feel, and the windows.” Dr. Jeff Gardner, Lead Pastor, Threshold Church, Weddington, NC
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the design and construction of the building. It expresses everything we set out to express,” Gardner says. “Once a month, I spend 30 minutes with newcomers after our worship service. I always ask them why they came and why they came back. The answers have become predictable—a warm welcome, a family feel, and the windows.”
Gardner especially likes that it feels like home, including the modern HD screen, the sound system, and the lighting that help "prepare the heart to encounter God."
“It doesn’t feel like a church as much as a place to be with ones we love,” he says. “From the visual approach to the porch and outdoor fireplace to the amazing floor-to-ceiling windows in the worship space to the inviting cafe, the building sings of the beauty and warmth of a home.”