Taking Steps Toward the Digital Age

Written By Greg Snider, Aspen Group Senior Project Developer

This blog exists because of technology, and you're reading it today because you've embraced technology in some way. You found it in your inbox, via Google, on our website or via social media.

Can the same be said for your church? Has your church embraced technology? Here are three specific ways that churches could begin embracing the digital age:

1. Interaction: There's nothing like personal interaction—when it's available. Finding real, live volunteers has always been a challenge, and, to reduce that burden, many churches have begun to look at technological options. For example, some churches have installed touch screens in their childcare areas—reducing congestion during the check-in process. And, to guide people through their building better, many churches now leverage digital signage that can rotate multiple messages and be modified easily.
2. Energy: More and more churches are looking at ways to reduce the energy they expend in their spaces, and lighting options seem to be leading the way—no pun intended. Some churches prefer LED lighting, for example. It's not only highly efficient, but also offers churches a myriad of color options for each distinct area in the building. Churches are also looking at motion sensor lighting options that automatically turn on only after detecting movement. Why pay for energy that's not being used?
3. Communications: Perhaps one of the biggest hesitations to the digital change comes in how churches communicate to their congregation. "Paper's how we've always done it." Or, "We don't want to upset the handful of members who only want hard copies." To embrace the next generation of givers, churches need to go digital with their communications. Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us (according to my YouVersion Bible app) the church exists to help people developing in their walk with Christ. How can your website, emails, apps, etc., help in this way? Churches need communications that are tighter, cleaner and more compelling. I would highly recommend checking out Fishhook's blog for some fresh communications insights.

The digital age is here…and it's moving quickly. If churches don't begin embracing it, they'll be bulldozed by it.

Getting Our Hands Dirty

From Brad Eisenmann, President

At Aspen Group, we’re privileged to work with churches, designing and building effective facilities for their unique ministry ventures. And then there are times when our staff goes a bit beyond their professional roles to really "get their hands dirty" in ministry work. It happens regularly throughout the year, and it’s a blessing to watch how these opportunities shape them as people and impact their work at Aspen when they get back home.

In one recent example, our Marketing Coordinator Josh Gregoire traveled with fellow members of his church, Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene, to Haiti. That week, their 20-person group built a new home for a family that had previously lived in a tent made from a tarp and some sticks, served 300 people at a family clinic, and led a 5-night VBS for local children along with various other work projects.

Watch the video below to see their team in action. And be sure to stay current on other stories like this on our Facebook page.

 

Designing for Millennials

Written By Derek DeGroot, Aspen Group Architect

 As more and more brands calculate what the Millennial Generation, a generation that's growing in numbers and influence, means to their businesses, churches have started digging into the same questions. How does this 18-29 age group interact with the church? How do they interact with our brand? How do they give? Or even, where do they eat and shop?

Millennials' expectations of church are different too, and our church facilities are starting to reflect this. As designers, researchers and churches dig more into what exactly this means for the future, there are some trends starting to emerge. 

Time Over Money
Millennials put a premium on speed and efficiency, valuing fast-casual restaurants (Noodles & Company, Chipotle, etc.), short lines, and quick turnarounds. If they value their time that much, how can we respect that with our churches and building designs? For one, we can make it clear to them who we are and what our vision is—aligning our facility to our brand and our communications. Simple things matter most, such as matching the feeling people get at the front entry on Sunday morning to the one they got visiting the website the night before. Millennials are opposed to spending copious amounts of time deciding if there's a fit. The fit should be apparent and natural. 

Experience Over Necessities
To this generation, some of the time honored necessities, such as buying a car or accumulating “stuff," are being challenged. The age of owning everything we use is facing extinction, as availability increases through technological advancements. Instead, the Millennials as a whole are valuing experiences (think Target, not Wal-Mart), such as weekends away or a night out in a unique environment. To create these meaningful experiences in our church spaces, it starts with creating great community space. Relational spaces help engage in story and conversation, so they can tell others about their experiences and connect to others. Ironically, business brands are finding that this is part of the new norm on why people buy things. It’s no longer about pure functionality or luxury, but about what we can tell others about it or what it says about us.

Diversity Over Status Quo
Naturally and obviously more diverse than previous generations, Millennials comprise many distinct segments.  They are not a homogenous group, made up of polarizing viewpoints and nuanced groups. They may be a more tolerant people as a whole, but they are increasingly forming a divide in opinion. To connect to such a diverse group, bold designs are key to churches moving forward. The days of being able to create bland multipurpose spaces are waning, as spaces are now incredibly intentional. This boldness will attract some, and push others away. However, the aligned fit will be obvious and your ministries will be able to do more with these individuals who will be fully bought into the church as a whole. 

Changing Over Staying
In what is being dubbed "The Rise of the Nones," a recent surge of people claiming no faith is concerning the church as a whole. Denominations, churches, and even individuals in the faith are becoming more concerned of a mass exodus of our youth away from faith to culture's great pull. In fact, according to David Kinnaman's research at the Barna Group, 43 percent of once-active Millennials drop out of regular church attendance between high school and age 30. This much is clear—how we do church, what church looks like, and the facilities we worship in will have to change to recapture this lost generation.

More of the Barna Group's research can be found here: http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/621-three-spiritual-journeys-of-millennials.

Tearing Down the Walls

By David H. Wilde AIA, Aspen Group Director of Design, Sr. Architect

Remember the city of Jericho in the book of Joshua? Remember how the Israelites captured it? They walked around the city for seven days and the walls just crumbled to the ground. We’re seeing a similar experience in how churches approach the design of their administrative space. (Ok, more walls coming down than a week’s worth of marching.)

Today we’re seeing more and more churches desiring their administrative staff workspace to be less rigid and more adaptable. They need their team members to be less isolated and more collaborative. In a sense, they’re tearing down the walls that previously segmented their staff.

Churches want relationship-building areas within their building. To counsel in administrative space, for example, churches need a space that feels like a family room…not an office. Forget the four walls and a door. Bring in couches, a coffee table and a throw rug to set the stage for counseling.

There is also a need for greater mobility with church admin space. More and more administrative staff members are transient nowadays; sometimes working at the church and sometimes working from home. Churches should not have a space design that’s only operable part of the time. Instead, create space that can be easily converted to fit the need, including the technology that’s incorporated.

Some multi-site churches, for example, bring staff from all their locations together once a week. There is less of a need for the large conference room that can only be utilized for these types of meetings. Try to think through how that square footage could be regularly used throughout the week. And so these spaces include mobile seating solutions and multi-use A/V equipment, such as Apple TV.

Not every church we work with elects to tear down the walls of their administrative space. It really needs to match your culture and your specific needs. But we have found this route selected more and more, as churches strive to be the best stewards of their space.

Swiss Army Knifing Through Design Challenges

Written By Derek DeGroot, Aspen Group Architect

Creativity often manifests itself in those times when needs outweigh resources. Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church found itself in that exact situation at the beginning of the design process.

Located on the near Southside of South Bend, Indiana, this bustling church of 600 attendees had far outgrown its current worship venue's 200-seat capacity. Pastor Rickardo Taylor, Sr., and his fellow church leaders wanted to create a world-class building that allowed exponential growth within the church's ministries. The church believed that a new 20,000-square-foot building on its new property—just one block south of its current facility—could allow it to meet its current ministry needs. Unfortunately, its budget would not allow such a large space.

It was time to get creative.

Mount Carmel and Aspen Group brainstormed multiple unique solutions—from education space to community centers—before finally settling on a 400-seat space affectionately referred to as the "Swiss Army Knife" building. Just like the knife, the building includes multiple adaptable features, allowing a maximum capacity event of 500+, a standard 400-seat configuration, a smaller 200-seat venue, or a division of the space into three multipurpose rooms.

Aspen Group's flexible design solution—embodying its Spatial Stewardship approach—essentially gave Mount Carmel the 20,000 square-foot space it desired, at least in terms of the vast array of programming options provided. To build such a space in a permanent layout would have both doubled the footprint and the budget.

While the budget limited the building's square footage space, the property's limited size also posed several parking and retention challenges. Mount Carmel eventually plans to purchase adjacent land, but a new, creative property plan was needed in the meantime.

Aspen Group's near-term solution included taking advantage of sandy soils by building a permeable paver parking lot. The design eliminated the need for a retention pond that would have taken up 25 parking spaces. The pavers also added to the aesthetic appeal of the new campus, creating warmth to match the church's hospitality and energy.

Together, these unique solutions turned what looked to be an impossible situation into a win for both church and community.

Click here to see photos of this versatile space being constructed.