The Calvary Expansion Project is a 15,000-square-foot addition to our main building designed to welcome newcomers, facilitate teaching and prayer ministries, and build community. There are multiple aspects to the $13.3 million project:

• A beautiful new entrance will be added to the south side of the existing Galleria to visibly and clearly denote the main entrance to Calvary Church! This welcoming atrium with multiple double doors will assist newcomers in finding their way into the church. It will provide safer building entry and exit and facilitate relationship building in informal seating areas filled with natural light.

• A larger, full-service Calvary Café will be added on the outside wall of the Galleria. This welcoming space will facilitate community and relationship-building among our congregation, guests, CCDC and CCA families, as well as our neighbors in the South Charlotte area.

• An outdoor ministry area with tables, chairs, and attractive hardscapes and landscaping will be added adjacent to the new Café. This open courtyard will enable people to meet informally to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and host small group ministry events.

• An extensive makeover of the Galleria area parking lot will improve building access for those with mobility challenges, eliminate safety issues with the current main entrance road, and add parking capacity.

• Eleven new classrooms will provide much-needed teaching space for Adult Life Groups, Wednesday evening electives, and Calvary Christian Academy. Ten classrooms will be housed in a new four-story addition adjacent to the east side of the current Calvary Child Development Center wing; the other classroom will open onto the Galleria near the current Welcome Desk.

• Two larger, faster elevators will be added near the existing elevators to facilitate the movement of people to and from the new classrooms, the Crown Room, and the Calvary church offices. Once installed, the existing elevators will be refurbished with faster, more reliable machinery.

• A new handicap-accessible Prayer Room will be added on the first floor to facilitate and expand the ministry of prayer throughout the week.

• Refurbishing the existing Galleria with new lighting, paint, carpet, and signage will integrate all the elements of the building expansion project. This will enable all of our recently completed renovations — the Sanctuary, Chapel, Room 1200, and the CCDC corridors and gateways — to be tied together with a consistent look across the entire first floor of the church.

This project follows the same neo-Gothic design motif of the current building and scales well with the existing four-story Galleria. Similar building materials will be used to integrate the overall look and feel of the structure with the unique architecture of Calvary Church.