Aspen Group Blog

Written By Mel McGowan, President and Founder of Visioneering Studios

When you think about building a church in America, we typically feel like we have one of two options/paradigms. The first is to create something that meets the conventional definition and expectation of “sacred space.” Church architects often seem to draw from the same “toolkit” in creating this traditionalist church environment, typically employing the following techniques, designed to artificially induce aMariners Church - Photo courtesy of Visioneering Studios physiological / emotional sense of “sacred”:

• Ascending stairs or a ramp
• Extensive use of natural light
• Stained glass windows
• Steeples / spires

The second option/paradigm, which has been popularized in the Church Growth movement, but has American roots in the austere Quaker meetinghouses, is the minimal functionalist model. The logic behind this approach, particularly popular amongst Evangelical churches, may either be a) financial stewardship in reaction against perceived opulence of traditional sacred spaces, or b) a desire to present a “seeker sensitive” secular appearance in order to disallow religious iconography to “get in the way” of unadorned gospel.

Increasingly, both of these paradigms are being challenged.

Throughout history, God has shown Himself to be passionate about community, from the eternal relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to the “good” environment He createdThe LAB / Rock Harbor - Photo courtesy of Visioneering Studios in the Garden, to the intentional wilderness camp layout, and on to the City of Heaven.  A key aspect of God’s architecture of community has been environments that simultaneously facilitate horizontal connection between people, as well as vertical connection with Him.  In America, we have “neutered” the word “community” by divorcing it from the concept of place (eg. the “Gay community,” an internet “virtual community”). However, when we get back to the original definition of “church” as “Ekklesia”, we rediscover that the intersection of “place” and “people” matter to God.

New typologies and paradigms which move beyond the impoverished theology of the traditionalist or functionalist model are being created as churches around the world are recognizing that in order to most effectively reach their community, new approaches may be necessary which have more in common with missionary strategies:

• Understand and distill the unique cultural context and flavor of the community
• Build on the unique sense of calling, purpose, and giftedness of the called
• Take advantage of – rather than ignore—God’s architecture (natural context, landforms, hydrology, climate, etc)
• Recognize that at the core of what we do is telling the “story” of the Gospel in a relevant, compelling way

Despite spending twice as much money on church walls, the American church is losing ground and on its way to becoming a post-Christian nation. In charting a new course, or a “third option”, we have come to the conviction that church walls have actually become the biggest obstacles separating Church Crossroads Christian Schools - Photo courtesy of Visioneering Studiosfrom the community, the lost and the found, and the truth from those who need it the most.  Clues to a new direction are found in God’s provision of the Court of the Gentiles, Paul’s ability to point people to Christ through the cultural connection at Mars Hill, and Christ’s ability to meet a Samaritan woman as she was trying to get a bucket of water at Jacob’s Well.  She would never have made it to Jerusalem, to the Temple and the Most Holy Place. God came to her at the community watering hole. In the same way, today we can create postmodern wells which serve living water in environments that can function as a much needed spiritual, social, and cultural “heart” of the community.

Perhaps more architects and pastors are called to be “well-diggers” than “temple-builders.”

Join Mel at ALIGNMENT4 and find out for yourself how to make your church space count.

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

Aspen is thrilled to announce the debut of the redesigned Cornerstone Conferences website! The Cornerstone Knowledge Network partnered with the talented folks at HAAN Marketing to create the new website design – a design that aligns with the content and quality of the conference and offers a great experience for those interested in learning more about the Cornerstone Alignment4 Conference.

We encourage you to visit the site and explore the great line-up of speakers and sessions planned for the upcoming March 16th conference in Indianapolis. Whether you are a senior or executive pastor, business administrator, staff, lay leader or building team member, you won't want to miss the incredible experience and insights offered at this event.

Please don’t forget that the extended Early Bird price of $100 will end on Feb 15th. Take advantage of this great deal and register today!

Written By Derek DeGroot, Aspen Group Project Architect

The way people approach work has changed and evolved, from a very professional and orderly workplace in the 80’s, to today’s technology-driven, but people-focused approach. As work has evolved, so has the design of the workplace. How does the design of a space reflect the work that is being done there? Maybe even closer to home – could the design of a church administration office affect the work of the staff and ultimately the ministries of the church?
 
Gensler, creator of the U.S. Workplace Survey, conducted a survey on workplace `environments. The results indicate that an organization can benefit greatly by viewing the workplace as an investment that impacts the organization’s real asset - its people. Of those surveyed, 90% indicated that better workplace design and layout result in better overall employee performance, and when asked to rate the importance of workplace design, 89% of respondents rated “important” to “very important”.

As we talk to churches about their administrative space, we have found that just like in mainstream business, it’s no longer just about process, but about the church’s “brand” and about the individuals that pursue the church’s mission every day.  As we look at how the administrative space affects those working there on a daily basis, it’s important to consider how the design contributes not just to efficiency, but to creativeness and collaboration.  Of course, space is expensive to build and costly to change.  But perhaps there is room in many churches for people to take a more active role in the nuts and bolts of office space without redesigning the entire layout.  Tom Kelley, author of The Ten Faces of Innovation, calls this role the Set Designer. A couple simple suggestions would be to try lifting an overly restrictive rule on space, or create a dedicated brainstorming area with everything from whiteboards and oversized post-its to comfortable seating.  You may be surprised how far small changes go toward creating a better workplace. With a design that fosters collaboration, but also embraces individualism, we can create spaces that are innovative and enhance the ministries of the church.

Several of these principles were employed in our new office in Frankfort.  We'd love to have you stop by for a visit!
 
You can find the entire study on the evolution of Workplace Design here: http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/Design+Performance_Index_10_22_2008.pdf 

Assumptions about church buildings are changing. What does this mean for planning our facilities?

Sign-up to ask your questions during a live webinar.

Ed Bahler President of Aspen Group and Bill Couchenour, President of Cogun, are co-founders of the Cornerstone Knowledge Network and have decades of hands-on experience when it comes to creating effective ministry space. Skye Jethani from Christianity Today's Leadership Journal, will be interviewing Ed and Bill about what church leaders should do before they decide to build or renovate their facilities.

Sign up for the live webinar on November 17th.

11-12pm CST