Church Design

Unwelcoming. Dark. Not enough space for ministry. That certainly does not describe First Baptist Church of Greensburg's traditional church facility anymore! This church, located in Greensburg, Indiana, was determined to establish a more welcoming posture to the community, expand connection space to foster deeper relationships and allow for future growth, and create flexible spaces that can be used for several ministries throughout the week.

What’s trending in kid’s ministry? It's a whirlwind of getting back into your space, adding new processes, and welcoming newcomers and longtimers. We love to connect with and support the team at Orange, currently on their Orange Tour Limited. I spoke recently with Orange Kids Specialist, Missy Purcell, about trends and the advice they are offering as they support church leaders.

As churches, schools, and universities grapple with how to meet the needs of a new generation of young adults, they often overlook the part their physical buildings play in influencing spiritual formation. In response, we’ve created a downloadable resource to help your church leaders answer important questions about how your building or campus can be a part of—not a hindrance to—your discipleship process.

Is it possible to build excitement and momentum within your staff and congregation during a church construction process, even when things get a little dusty? The answer is yes! The construction process can grow ministry in unexpected ways. Our team partnered with The Bridge Church in Bradenton, Florida on a sanctuary renovation recently. Goal one was to help them keep their sanctuary open during construction, an approach we refer to as “Ministry in the Dust.” Now, the team looks back on the project with a fondness for how it energized their congregation. What did it take to build ministry amid construction?

The pandemic has changed us in ways we still don't fully understand, but the future of church gatherings will be a combination of physical and digital space. At Barna, we asked, “After the COVID-19 pandemic, what kind of church gathering will fit your lifestyle best?” The majority of people said physical gatherings will be important; those aren't going to go away. What was interesting is that there is also a sense that both physical and digital experiences are going to be favored. Before, technology was a barrier to us in how we were joining church. Now, we have people whose virtual literacy has gone up immensely over this period, across generations.

Everyone looks at different things in a church service: worship styles, preaching, or even the unwritten dress code. The same is true within church spaces. Every individual who walks through your doors will have a different priority when it comes to how they view your physical space. Fresh off the heels of Mother’s Day, I spoke with two of Aspen's amazing architectural design team members, Andrea Burks and Rosie Mitchell, about five things parents look for when they enter a church space—besides the coffee.

Many churches have construction, in some form or other, going on throughout the year. It might not be a full-on building project, but teams are often building sets for sermon series, VBS and youth events may call for lumber, paint and power tools, and of course, normal facility maintenance calls for safety protocols. We recently celebrated Safety Week and offer these tips you can share with your staff and volunteers to keep them safe on the job, no matter how big or small.

How do you know when it’s time to consider a renovation or build at your church? Oxford Bible Fellowship, in Oxford, Ohio, continued to see opportunities related to their vision stacked up against facility-related challenges, both inside and out. Pastor Garrett Nates was moved by the needs of their church, the local community, and the college campus. “We were running up against so many different constraints on our ministry. Probably every single area had pinch points.”

At Aspen Group, we believe that architectural design affects behavior. Behaviors become habits. Habits form us. People instinctively move and operate in a space based on what the design is guiding them to do. As churches and schools grapple to meet the needs of a new generation, they often overlook the part their physical buildings are playing in influencing faith formation—their responses, behaviors, and habits. The following four crucial components of design address the cultural forces that are complicating the discipleship journey. How can your built space help answer a new generation’s deepest needs?  

While most people wind down the work week on Fridays, those of us in construction pick up the pace. Especially if we’re working on an Aspen Group “Ministry in the Dust” project. Recently, we had the privilege of partnering with The Bridge Church in Bradenton, Florida, using this type of approach for their sanctuary renovation project.