Are We Really Collaborating?

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

After reading the CKN article by Rex Miller, titled “Collaboration Without Context”, I couldn’t agree more with his thoughts on the issue of teams needing to form trust which then leads to collaboration. Collaboration isn’t co-laboring unless trust is present and is the foundation of our actions. In the design/construction market, trust with team partners (Owners, consultants, sub-contractors) is developed over time through a series of successes. 

When things go well, people want to work with you again. But one success doesn’t lead to instant trust.  In order for constant success,  project expectations, internal processes, and the scope of the projects (drawings and BIM models) need to be clear, organized, and well managed. Rex compared a construction project to “starting a mini company”, with a myriad of team members and players. So how do we even begin to keep large groups of people on the same page to create these successes?  The answer is two-fold: the people and the project. 

Managing both well go hand-in-hand and are critical for success and trust over time. We may have a well defined project, but without good people management it won’t get accomplished. Conversely, we may have all the right people, but with a disorganized and poorly defined project, we are bound to experience some level of failure on the project. Watch for future blogs on how we manage people issues and project issues.

Bottom-line, collaboration is simply a buzz word without the trust and experience that comes from tenured partnerships.

What partnerships have you developed in your ministry that have resulted in true collaboration? Share your story in the comments. 

New CKN Website

As founding partner of the Cornerstone Knowledge Network (CKN), Aspen Group is proud to announce the new CKN website has launched with even more resources available, as the CKN has taken full ownership of buildingforministry.com.

“We are excited about the new CKN website launch and the valuable resources and information it will continue to offer to ministry leaders on alignment and facility issues,” shared Ed Bahler, CEO of Aspen Group.

Buildingforministry.com (BFM) was originally a web channel created through the partnership between Cornerstone Knowledge Network (CKN) and Christianity Today International (CTI).  As part of an effort to fine tune their vision, CTI has transferred the BFM website to CKN. CKN and CTI will continue to maintain a supportive and collaborative relationship, including CTI becoming a valued Knowledge Partner of CKN.

CKN is passionate about radically enhancing ministry’s impact in this dawning digital age and is dedicated to creating powerful resources for church leadership, as well as resources for designing and constructing strategic church facilities.  CKN will continue to offer the valuable information that was provided through BFM to help church leaders align Culture, Leadership, Ministry, and Facilities on www.theCKN.com

The e-newsletter and new website will offer blog posts, videos, articles, and other important resources contributed by the CKN, its Knowledge Partners and Editorial Advisors.

A Unique Learning Event for Church Leaders

Have you heard that the Cornerstone Alignment4 Conference is back in Indianapolis this year? 

Brought to you by Aspen Group and the Cornerstone Knowledge Network, the Alignment 4 Conference is coming up on April 14th, 2011! We would love for you to consider joining us for this learning event.

The Alignment4 Conference series helps church leaders strengthen the partnership between ministries and facilities with the foundational theme of Alignment.  Specifically, we will look at how the alignment of culture, leadership, and ministry translates into effective facilities, enhancing ministry and furthering your church’s mission.

At this event you have the opportunity to hear from industry leaders on a multitude of topics relating to alignment.  From communication to cultural trends to facility designs to fundraising strategies, the Cornerstone Knowledge Network promises an impactful experience for any church leader through this Conference.
 
Founded by Aspen Group, the Cornerstone Knowledge Network consists of several partners focused on the mission to:

Discover and disseminate meaningful knowledge that radically improves how church facilities impact ministry. 

The Cornerstone Conferences are big part of this mission!

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to benefit from the knowledge shared at the Alignment4 Conference on April 14th in Indianapolis.

For more information, please visit www.cornerstoneconferences.com.

Story First

By Michael Melilli, Director of Environmental Design, PlainJoe Studios

Whenever we begin a new project, be it a children’s space or a church lobby renovation, the first thing we do is sit down with the project’s decision makers, the architects of the organization’s DNA, and nail down the Big Idea, the space’s Story.  (Yes, that’s Story with a capital “S”.)  This, above all else, is the key to an impactful project and has to happen first; before a single concept sketch is doodled, color palette examined or technology considered. 

“But why?” we’re so frequently asked.  “Does a place really need a story?”  The answer is a resounding yes.

Photo provided by PlainJoe StudiosStory has always been the basis of human communication.  When your significant other tells you that they had a terrible day, you expect them to give you a narrative account of what happened.  It’s how we come to understand their current emotional state.  It’s the Story that connects us and allows us to empathize with what they’ve experienced.  The vast majority of our leisure time is spent centered around Story.  We read, go to movies, and gather with friends to share the Stories of our lives while we enjoy a meal together.  Children are taught life lessons through fables; the Story allows them to internalize the message being delivered.  Christ himself taught with parables; allegorical Stories meant to convey a larger truth. 

Story offers people a deeper understanding of their lives and each other and ultimately ties them together.  At the center of every community, no matter how big or small, is a shared story.

Photo provided by PlainJoe StudiosThere’s a reason Disneyland has had such a powerful effect on countless generations.  On one level the rides and attractions are all Story based.  You’re invited into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye to search for Indiana Jones; to, in essence, become a part of a Story that you’ve likely thrilled to in the past.  You’re given the chance to fly to Never Never Land with Peter Pan or take on the Death Star with the Rebel Alliance.  However, beyond the Stories we all know and love, you’re invited to create Stories of your own; lasting memories and shared experiences for you and your loved ones to share for years to come. 

Photo provided by PlainJoe StudiosA space without a Story is just an empty building.  Your space needs to tell your Story; otherwise it’s just four walls and a roof, no matter how cool it looks.  Dig deep, ask who you are and what your mission is and decide what you want your space to say about you to those who visit it.

On a practical level, a space’s Story serves as a guide against which all design decisions need to be measured.  This can be very literal; in a futuristic space themed children’s area the Story tells us that a ‘57 Chevy doesn’t work as a thematic element.  The principle stays true even if the Story isn’t as thematically specific.  A church coffee shop’s Story may be that it’s a place of calm and refuge for the busy community around it, a place to gather, reconnect, and rest.  As you make design decisions you’ll now know that busy fabric patterns aren’t the right choice for the booth seats and cacophonous colors should probably be saved for a future project.  There’s literally not a single design decision that won’t benefit from Story.

Set your Story, follow the Big Idea and design with intention.  In the end you’ll have more than just a hip new space; instead, you and your guests will discover a place that is a powerful reflection of your church and your mission.Photo provided by PlainJoe Studios

Join Michael Melilli and Johnny Davis at ALIGNMENT4 to learn how you can capture your "Story" in the design of your ministry space.

If you would like more information about the upcoming ALIGNMENT4 conference or to register, simply visitwww.cornerstoneconferences.com or call 888-595-7360.

The Collaborative Partnership of Building for Ministry

By Lynn Noe, Customer Relations Coordinator

Linking arms…. Joining forces… All simple ways of describing strategic partnerships.  Last year, Christianity Today International (CTI) and Cornerstone Knowledge Network (CKN) formed a strategic partnership with the launch of  Building For Ministry.  Creating space, engaging people, and transforming lives is the mission of this joint venture.

Building for Ministry provides a great deal of content in two different formats:

1. The first is the website, http://www.buildingforministry.com.  Readers have access to downloads and articles from a variety of contributors.  The resources cover a diverse mix of subjects that are catalogued under Discern, Assess, Lead, Design, Build, and Learn. 

2. The second format is contact delivered via e-newsletter.  A bi-weekly publication is sent out featuring new content that has been added to the Building For Ministry website.  You may sign up for that newsletter here. 

Christianity Today International has a long tradition of providing resources in all aspects of faith with a mission to “create Christian content that changes the people who change the world.”   Building For Ministry draws on the ministry expertise and passion of both CTI and CKN to help churches utilize, design, and build ministry space based on an understanding of culture, church identity, and ministry vision.