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Aspen Group Blog
Knowledge to navigate the intersection of church culture, leadership, ministry, and facilities.
Making Space Podcast Season One Recap
How Your Church Lobby Can Help Build Hospitality and Create Space for Connection
Discover the impact Millennials' values, allegiances, and assumptions will have on your church.
Aspen Group Announces Transition in Senior Leadership
Church Lobbies: Creating a Place of Welcome Where People Can Take the Next Step
Announcing a new Barna/Aspen Collaboration, Making Space for Inspiration!
Saying “Welcome Home” with a Church Lobby Design Refresh
Church Lobby Renovation: Creating Space to Build Relationships
Christ Chapel’s South Campus: A Right-Sized Facility Rooted in Family
Making Space—A Forthcoming Aspen/Barna Research Project
The Orchard Vernon Hills: A Full Sunday Experience on the First Floor
How ‘Touch Starvation’ Presents the Local Church with an Opportunity
How Our Construction Teams Stay Connected, Supported, and Safe on the Job Site
4 Ways Your Church Lobby Can Help Build a Culture of Radical Hospitality
5 Simple Ways to Get Your Church Facility Ready for Easter
Chapelstreet North Aurora—An Adaptable Design for a Compact Space
3 Ways to Maximize Your Church’s Outdoor Space
4 Questions to Consider When Assessing Your Church’s Outdoor Space
Designing for Emotional Wellbeing: The Power of Both/And
Two Ways Design Can Impact Emotional Wellbeing
Designing a Church Food Pantry that Models the Love of Jesus
How Collaboration Powers Innovation and Creates Ministry Impact
Aspen's Top 5 Videos of 2021
3 Questions to Ask Before Embarking on a Church Building Project
Barna’s “Making Space” Podcast Series Recap
Navigating Diverse Cultural Differences—From the Church Architect’s Desk
Loneliness, the Digital Age, and Church Design–From the Church Architect's Desk
Fostering Meaningful Relationships in a Digital Age and the Role Physical Space Plays–From the Church Architect's Desk
The Theology of Physical Space–From the Church Architect’s Desk
Derwin Gray on How Physical Space Impacts Prayer–From the Church Architect’s Desk
Kicking off the Barna podcast series "Making Space"—From the Church Architect's Desk
2021 Design Week Recap
Designing Church Spaces That Support Those with Special Needs
3 Shifts in Kid’s Ministry Design
5 Ways This Church Designed Their Space for Discipleship
What IKEA Can Teach Us About Church Design
How a Culture of Collaboration and Learning Supports our Design-Build-Furnish Approach
Design-Build-Furnish vs a Design-Bid Approach
Aspen’s Integrated Design-Build-Furnish Approach
Before and After—How Fresh Design Brings a More Inviting Environment to a Traditional Church Facility
Three Tips from Orange to Help Rebuild Your Children’s Ministry
4 Ways Your Church Can Help Younger Generations Grow
Gaining Ministry Momentum in the Construction Zone
Hybridization of the Physical and Digital Church
5 Things Parents Look for in a Church Facility
4 Ways to Keep Your Staff and Volunteers Safe on Church Construction Projects
Oxford Bible Fellowship: Fueling Ministry on a College Campus
Making Space for Gen Z Disciples
Ministry in the Dust: A Unique Approach that Impacts Ministry and Lives
Pastors: Why You Need Your KidMin Leaders’ Input Before You Relaunch Church
5 Things Every Church Needs to Know About Signage
Questions to Ask Before You Relaunch 4 Key Ministries in Your Church
‘A Scared World Needs a Fearless Church’: Leading Bravely in Uncertain Times
Phygital Church: Brave Questions to Ask as You Blend Your Physical and Digital Ministry
Can Good Church Design Help Lower Anxiety?
How Your Church Facility Can Help Build Disciples
Benet Academy Design-Build Project Provides Fresh Solutions to Connect a New Generation of Students
How to Facilitate a “Relaunch Church” Meeting with Your Leadership Team
Making Space to Form the Next Generation in Higher Education
Built to Be a Beacon: How One Urban Church Offers Hope—and a Home—to Its Community
How to Design for In-Person and Online Church Experiences
Relaunching Church in a COVID World
How One Church Redesigned with Men in Mind
4 Ways to Reimagine Large Gathering Spaces for Smaller Groups
6 Tips to Thank Your Congregation for Their Annual Giving
3 Urgent Issues Facing the Church, and Design Solutions to Address Them
How to Adapt Your Church for Phased-In Gathering Sizes
Our Top 10 Resources to Relaunch Church in 2021
3 Ways the Classic City Conference Will Help You Recalibrate for 2021
How to Push Through the Wall of Grief, Pain, and Disappointment As You Run the COVID Marathon
Design Week Recap: How Good Church Design Shapes Culture and Solves Problems
Christmas + COVID: 7 Ways to Prepare Your Church Building
4 Questions Churches Are Asking About Phygital Church, and How to Know If It’s Right for Your Church
Biophilic Design: 7 Ways to Bring the Outdoors into Your Church
How to Build a Phygital Strategy at Your Church
Designing Churches to Shape Culture and Solve Problems
5 Interior Design Trends to Integrate into Your Church Now
Pastors: If 2020 Feels Like Your First Year on the Job, You’re Not Alone (Here’s What to Do Next)
A Clinical Approach to Your Church Building Project
Quickstart Guide to Becoming a Phygital Church
The 5 Steps of Leadership Development
Small Church Focus: 7 Tips to Keep Your Ministry Practical, Personal, and Sustainable
Welcome to the Era of Phygital Church
Help! How Do We Use Our Lobby to Connect in the Midst of COVID?
Church Facility Projects to Tackle During COVID (and Ones You Shouldn't)
Pastor Appreciation Month: How to Fight Discouragement and Find Focus
How to Adapt Your Church Lobby for COVID
Portable + Permanent: A Both/And Solution for Multiplying Your Church
Adaptive Reuse Pros and Cons: Could Your New Church Be An Old Grocery Store?
The End of Coffee at Church?
3 Tips for Raising Church Building Project Funds During COVID
Shut Out by COVID: How to Find a New Church Fast
Church Merger: 3 Churches Become One in a Converted Grocery Store
10 Principles to Recalibrate Church
3 Steps for Adapting—and Thriving—as COVID Continues
5 Tips for Relaunching Outreach Ministries
5 Keys for Leading Change in Your Church
4 Tips for Maximizing Online Worship During COVID
Creating Space for Connection in the COVID-19 Era
What Pastors Need to Navigate COVID-19 at Church
How to Use Your Church Parking Lot for 7-Day-a-Week Ministry
4 Ways Churches Are Responding to the Reopening Challenge
What the Church Can Learn from Amazon, Disney, and J.Crew During COVID-19
How to Transform Your Church Parking Lot for Outdoor Gatherings
6 Traits I See in Churches that Are Thriving in the Midst of COVID-19
Short-Term Solutions vs Long-Term Strategies to Relaunch Your Church
How to Design Spaces that Serve as a Respite for the Community
10 Reasons Why Pastors Should Be Engaging Financial Leaders in Their Church During COVID-19
6 Ways to Adapt Indoor and Outdoor Spaces for Individual Prayer and Reflection
Do You Know If Your Congregation Is Ready to Return to Church?
Relaunching Church in a New Reality—A Barna Virtual Workshop
Weathering the Financial Effects of COVID-19 on Your Church Budget
How to Handle Online Offerings at Church: Best Practices from Stewardship Specialists
From the Big Room to the Small Screen
Curated Content for Navigating Ministry Changes
Preparing Leaders to Relaunch Church
‘Easter’s Not Canceled’: How Churches Will Celebrate in the Midst of the COVID-19 Crisis
Is Your Church Ready to Move into Phase 2 of a COVID-19 Response Plan?
Aspen Group Expands Southeast Presence with Launch of Florida Studio
The Great Collaboration: The Missing Piece in Church Expansion
How to Design Your Church with Safety in Mind
3 Myths About Church Facilities that May Be Keeping You from Multiplying
How to Avoid Losing Your Pastor After a Church Building Project
Equipping Church Planters: Why Aspen Partners With NewThing
Strategies for Community Impact: How 3 Pastors and Their Churches Are Making a Difference
How to Prevent a Shooting and Other Security Risks at Your Church
4 Tips for Designing Children's Ministry Space
Top 5 Church Building Topics in 2019
Building a Church Home for Christmas
3 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Church Building Partner
How to Hang Your Church Christmas Decorations With Care
Giving Thanks for All Things
5 Truths for Building Generous Givers in Your Church
Should Your Church Build a Gym?
How to Create Intimacy in an 1,100-Seat Auditorium
5 Steps for Building New Leaders in Your Church
How Many Parking Spots Does Your Church Need?
If Your Church Were Gone, Would Anyone Notice?
3 Reasons Why Your Church May Be Ready for a Makeover
When Your Community Changes: How One Rural Church Renovated in Response to Development
When a Hurricane Is Heading Your Church’s Way
Church Mergers: The Unintended Consequence of the Multisite Movement
Rest for the Weary: 4 Ways Your Church Can Be a Place of Respite
How Better Sightlines from the Pastor to the People Makes for Better Preaching
When Your Church Is Portable: 5 Ways to Create Effective Ministry Space
Design Challenge: How to Improve Traffic Flow and Security in Kids’ Ministry Space
What to Do If Your Church Is Becoming a Museum
Should My Church Merge? 4 Questions to Help You Decide
4 Keys to Building a Dad-Friendly Church
When Your Church Is in the Path of a Deadly Storm
How to Build Your Church for Community Impact
How to Create a Healthy Church Culture
10 Red Flags Your Church Communications May Need Help
4 Ways to Make Space for Moms at Church
What Notre Dame’s Fire Reveals About Our Love for Church Buildings
Making Space for Easter's Impact
How to Create Safe, Secure Children’s Ministry Space
3 Ways Churches Can Attract Top Talent
How to Lead Leaders: 13 Core Principles for Managing Players (and Pastors)
Celebrating 5 Types of Givers in Your Church: How to Inspire Transformational Generosity, Part 2
Ham or Eggs?: How to Inspire Transformational Generosity, Part 1
Building a Church In and For The Community
5 Tips for Launching New Churches
How to Make Your Church Relevant Within Your Local Community
8 Key Leadership Tasks for Navigating Change at Church
Will the New Tax Changes Affect Giving at Your Church?
Four Things Millennials Wish the Church Would Be
10 Really Big Questions About Future Church Attendance (and Some Hunches)
Our Top 5 Reads for Leaders Who Want to Maximize Their Ministry Impact
Making Space for God with Us
4 Tips for Increasing Your Church’s Community Impact
A Formula for Navigating Change at Church
Giving Thanks for God’s Goodness
How to Rapidly Reproduce the Church
Thank You to Our Alignment Partners!
Pastors: If You Want to Build Momentum, Stop Flying Solo
Building a Story at Community Christian Church–Yellow Box
Discover Your Church’s Growth Engines and Barriers
Is Your Church Really Impacting Your Community?
Is Your Church Bringing Kingdom Culture to Your Community?
How We Fill Our Leader Pipeline
How 3 Multisite Churches Are Building for Community Impact
Why Beautiful Church Design May Be the Best Way to Serve Your Community
Building for Community Impact: Community Christian Church Plainfield
Is It Time to Launch Your Next Church?
Reaching Out and Building Up for Future Generations: Orland Park Christian Reformed Church
10 Ways to Maximize Your Church Lobby
6 Ways to Create a Dad-Friendly Environment at Your Church
The Power of “Proxemics”: Creating 4 Zones for Connection at Church
6 Coaching Questions to Develop New Leaders in Your Church
3 Purposeful Ways Churches Can Make Room for Millennials
Church Design Through a Mother's Eyes
Keys to Successful Church Restarts, Part 2
Keys to Successful Church Restarts, Part 1
3 Keys for Discovering Your Church's DNA
Easter Blessings from Aspen Group
Pastors: 15 Ways to Convert Easter Visitors Into Return Attendees
Conquering the Challenges of the 21st Century Church
How to Communicate the Launch of a New Church, Part 2
How to Communicate the Launch of a New Church, Part 1
Multiplying Impact with a Building Addition: West Bridge Church
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