Facilities 

Building Symbolism

12Stone Church at Sugarloaf

12Stone Church at Sugarloaf was planted in January 2012 at Peachtree Ridge High School. After meeting in their temporary location for two years where weekly attendance grew to nearly 800, they are now at home in their campus complete with a 1,000 seat worship center and substantial space for Kid’s Ministry.

John Wesley

The statue of John Wesley commemorates the field preaching movement that took the gospel outside the church to reach spiritually lost people (salvation by faith) as the world became his parish.

12

References to the number 12 are expressed in many places throughout the church, from the lights and millwork in the main lobby, to the proportional ratios that define the rooms within. The 12 buttresses that define the perimeter of the worship center have 12 fins that also create 12 crosses. Finally, the angular relationship of the ellipse and worship center to the interstate and the site itself is also represented by 12 degrees.

Architectural Inspiration

The architect’s first stroke that turns an idea into an experience is an exhilarating yet daunting moment of a project. Religious edifices are a rare and beautiful opportunity for the architect to explore and express deeper metaphorical and spiritual relationships between site, building, congregation, and God. The John C. Maxwell Leadership Center at 12Stone® Church has been that wonderful project that allows an architect not only a rare opportunity of artistic expression, but also an inspiration that allowed the project to unveil itself in a natural and flowing manner nearly every step of the way.

Architectural inspiration stemmed from 12Stone Church, John C. Maxwell, and their common history. Paying homage to its roots, the building incorporates elements from the Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. The elliptical building form is an important and recognizable attribute of the Seminary, and became an important influence to the building’s design.

The ellipse evolved to become the main circulatory guide; it is a reference back to the beginning, both tangibly and spiritually. It also provides natural light within the building and allows those on the outside to see within and feel drawn to the building and it’s activities. The ellipse is expressed upwards to become a crown of light so that it is visible from the neighboring interstate highway. The ellipse is married with 12 stone piers, with the outlier pier being braced, engaged, and drawn back by the main body. The unifying canopy binds them all under common shelter as one approaches its doors.

At the other end of the building is another anchor point, the monumental stair and “lighthouse”. It is a beacon to those that approach the site and serves as a visual landmark both from the exterior and interior. Curving and flowing forms both on the ground and overhead lead the journey from one end to the other. The lighting guides you from one place to the other, and the monumental stair provides a place for instantaneous meetings to occur. Each tread is wide enough to be a gathering place for patrons that pass each other and feel compelled to converse and interact. It is a voluminous space that reaches upwards and opens up to the people outside, welcoming them to participate inside.

References to the number 12 are expressed in many places throughout the project, from the lights and millwork in the main lobby, to the proportional ratios that define the rooms within. The 12 buttresses that define the perimeter of the worship center have 12 fins that also create 12 crosses. Finally, the angular relationship of the ellipse and worship center to the interstate and the site itself is also represented by 12 degrees.

The woodwork in the main spaces are made of Lebanese Cedar, hearkening to references in Scripture to the Trees of God; a testament to the stature and strength of 12Stone Church and John C. Maxwell’s ministry.

In its final expression, the inspiration of spirit that 12Stone Church and John C. Maxwell embody has brought to fruition a building that exemplifies their stewardship to God and His followers.

Thank you Edward Palisoc for your hard work and inspiration in this project.