Lakewood Ranch church wraps up $7.7 million expansion

Cornerstone Church of Lakewood Ranch is wrapping up a $7.7 million expansion, but the Presbyterian church began with much more humble beginnings. 

In 1993, a group of under 50 congregants worshiped at the Parkway 8 Cinema on Lockwood Ridge Road. By 2002, the church found a home of its own in Lakewood Ranch, but it was “in the country” and hadn’t been built yet. 

Most of the members lived in Sarasota and didn’t want to drive a dirt road to church. 

However, just like the surrounding community of Lakewood Ranch, there was a vision for what that 8-acre cow pasture could become. 

That vision has since been fulfilled. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

The 8 acres of prime Lakewood Ranch real estate near the corner of University Parkway and Lorraine Road only cost about $100,000 to purchase. 

Now, the property holds a 37,000-square-foot campus that includes a 10,000-square-foot sanctuary, a reception area, coffee bar, administration offices, a youth wing, playground and athletic court. 

The new sanctuary has a capacity of 600. The current church membership is at about 350 adults and 100 youths, so there’s room to grow. 

Rev. Phil Woods said the church has grown by 20% each year over the past five years. While opening the new sanctuary has the church poised to keep growing, Woods has no aspiration to turn Cornerstone into a mega church, such as Grace Community Church or Bayside Community Church.

Woods enjoys the intimacy of a smaller congregation. He refers to it as a boutique church. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

There is certainly something different about Cornerstone when walking through its doors. When looking straight ahead, the first thing to notice is an enormous painting by Makoto Fujimura, which was commissioned by the church, which did not disclose the price.

Fujimura’s art hangs in museums from New York to Tokyo. He’s known for the “slow art movement.” He uses gems and minerals, such as gold and emeralds, in his work. The process is lengthy, but his work is also meant to be admired slowly.

David Brooks of the New York Times described Fujimura’s art as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.”

Cornerstone Church reflects that same sentiment. The seating invites visitors to get comfortable and stay a while. Woods noted that even the coffee machine works on a slow drip.

“We’re not meant to be hurried the way we are,” Woods said. “So our building is meant to fight against that war. We are letting you know that we want to reshape the way you think about life and the way you read the Bible.” 

In front of Fujimura’s painting are two soft, velvet sofas and additional seating off to the side in front of a fireplace. The coffee bar resembles a modern coffee shop where church members can linger after the service. 

The church is modern, yet cozy, and nobody is being rushed out the door. 

Up to this point, the descriptions might be more apt for an art gallery or coffee shop rather than a church, but every detail is rooted in theology. Fujimura is a Christian artist. The pink trumpet plants in front of the church bloom at Easter. 

When sitting in the sanctuary, the focal point is not the pulpit or the musical instruments, its creation. Large glass panels allow for natural light to seep in while revealing an infinity pond and a cluster of Palm trees. 

The building is angled so that no matter where anyone is seated, the sun will never glare through the windows in their eyes. Overhead, a modern ode to stained glass encircles the room. 

Courtesy image

Hall Darling Design Studio in Sarasota created a microlight gallery that resembles stained glass. Woods noted that stained glass isn’t a feasible option for Florida. The glass isn’t thick enough to meet hurricane codes, so Hall Darling designed the next best thing. 

A series of polycarbonate panels covered with dichroic film were installed to create a stunning visual that is ever-changing depending on where the sun is hitting the building. 

“Everything we do here, we hire all artists,” Woods said. 

That includes the massive double doors that lead into the sanctuary. They’re solid wood crafted by a wood worker. The children’s wing tells the story of Genesis through Revelation in 24 pieces of original art as you travel down the hallway. 

The space is not only artisanal and intentional, it's practical, too. During the first $3.3 million renovation in 2019, a metal fence was installed around the perimeter of the yard to keep the wild hogs from continually tearing up the sod. 

There isn't a detail the team didn’t consider.