10 New church DESIGN trends

1. “We need space that flexes, not just fills.”

“Our worship space isn’t just for Sundays anymore—it’s for dinners, youth nights, and even community meetings. So we ditched fixed seating and designed for flexibility.”

For generations, the trend has been fixed seats, from pews to auditorium seating. Now, even large Churches are rethinking sanctuaries to allow for movable chairs, adaptable lighting, and multi-use setups.

2. “People linger now—and we love that.”

“We doubled the size of our lobby. It’s like a living room meets coffee shop. People hang out way longer than before.”

The trend away from narrow lobbies has been shifting for decades, but the shift toward hospitality-first lobbies with café counters, soft seating, and social zones is a major trend.

3. “Online isn’t optional—it’s essential.”

“We built a control room and invested in cameras and sound. That decision helped us reach thousands who may never walk in.”

5 years ago, most churches didn’t think it was necessary to invest in online infrastructure. Now, Churches are designing with streaming in mind, building AV infrastructure into the bones of their buildings.

4. “We want kids to want to be here.”

“Our children’s ministry space looks like a mini theme park—and parents feel good dropping their kids off because security is tight.”

We used to see a lot of churches building generic classrooms with no theming. As the shift toward large-group rooms has taken off, many of those spaces have been the focus of design and theming. Now, Churches are ensuring every room from the entrance to the babies is a highly engaging, secure environment that combines fun with high safety standards.

5. “We repurposed instead of starting from scratch.”

“We turned an old grocery store into our new home. It was faster and more affordable.”

Churches used to find tons of acres outside of town to build big. Now, many churches are repurposing existing buildings (strip malls, warehouses, schools) instead of ground-up builds to save cost and reach neighborhoods faster.

6. “Warmth wins. We’re going for cozy, not corporate.”

“We used reclaimed wood, warm paint, and soft lighting. It just feels more human.”

When churches starting designing a modern church years ago, they stripped the church of all warmth to lean into cool tone, industrial vibes. The trend is now shifting toward more homey vibes with design palettes moving toward earthy, natural materials that invite connection.

7. “Ministry happens all week—not just Sunday.”

“We added counseling rooms and a food pantry. The building stays busy every day.”

I met with a church the other day about to start a new project, and they sent out a survey to their neighborhood: “We are building a new church in your community. What are your greatest needs?” The results were a counseling center and an indoor playground. Churches focused on their community are designing third spaces—not just sanctuaries, but counseling centers, co-working hubs, and outreach zones.

8. “We’re doing more outside than ever before.”

“We added a covered patio and worship lawn. People feel safer and more relaxed outdoors.”

Most churches barely had enough for a landscaping budget by the end of the project. Now, outdoor ministry areas are on the rise: firepits, prayer paths, and pavilion spaces are part of many new designs. Many churches are streaming their services to these outdoor places throughout the week as a transition for the non-churched to experience worship in a more comfortable environment.

9. “Smaller spaces, more lEADERS.”

“When we launched our smaller campus, it wasn’t just about reaching more people—it gave new leaders a place to grow.”

Rather than building one massive facility, many churches are choosing to launch multiple smaller venues, each with its own rhythms, teams, and opportunities. Leaders we spoke with say this model isn’t just scalable—it’s deeply empowering.

“It’s not just the senior pastor preaching every week. We’ve got campus pastors, worship leaders, tech directors—all stepping into roles they might not have in a larger, centralized model.”

This shift is expanding the leadership pipeline, offering real responsibility to emerging leaders—and helping churches stay relational, local, and mission-focused.

10. “Stewardship means thinking about sustainability, too.”

“We invested in efficient lighting and HVAC—it pays off long term.”

It used to be that thinking about energy efficiency was optional, if not a luxury. More churches are now budgeting for long-term sustainability, integrating energy-efficient systems, and reducing utility costs.