Central Church

Sanford, FL

Just north of Orlando and Walt Disney World, in the fast-growing community of Sanford, Florida, Central Church Sanford has become a home for countless families. With the motto “We are for your family!”—and the warmly familiar “Hey, neighbor!”—the church lives out its identity as a true neighbor, sharing the love of Christ both on campus and throughout the community. In 2022, Central partnered with Risepointe to reimagine their existing facility so it would better reflect who they are. While the building offered ample space, years of evolving ministry needs had left it fragmented and difficult for families to navigate. Challenges like these are where Risepointe thrives: aligning church environments into spaces that are cohesive, intentional, and aligned with a clear vision.

Gallery

Project Team

Architect: Risepointe

Contractor: Mckee Construction

PME Engineering: CPH Corp.

Structure: Tower Pinkster

Civil: Faber Engineering

Project Info

Under Contract 2022
Interior Renovation
New Addition
Steel Building
3.6M Construction
19,000 SF Renovation
189 $/SF

Program

To create a more effective and welcoming environment, we removed several existing spaces—including the kitchen, classrooms, chapel, and portions of the second-floor classrooms—to open up the building and establish clearly defined areas for kids, youth, and adult gatherings. A key improvement was the introduction of a single, secure entry point for kids ministry, designed with intuitive, grade-level access directly from the lobby. The lobby and main entry became central to the project’s vision. We reimagined these areas to unify multiple program spaces into one cohesive, easy-to-navigate hub, while also making the exterior entrance more visible and inviting. Risepointe also prioritized the second level by creating flexible gathering spaces for adults and students. These mid-sized environments are thoughtfully designed to support a variety of uses, accommodating everything from small groups to larger community gatherings.

Unique Opportunities

The existing building presented a familiar challenge: like many facilities, it had been expanded in phases over the years. Originally, the space was organized around an open central gym. At some point, a second floor was inserted into that volume to increase usable square footage. While this addition provided more space, it also made the building feel enclosed and disconnected—particularly for the upstairs classrooms, where children’s areas felt removed from the activity and energy of the main lobby. In the renovation, we reintroduced openness by carving a large opening back into the second floor. This intervention restored visual and spatial connection between levels, allowing natural interaction between spaces and improving overall wayfinding. The result is a more cohesive environment that not only reconnects the building physically, but also strengthens the sense of unity across ministries—making the second floor far more functional for midweek programming and shared use.

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