Aspen Group Blog

Knowledge to navigate the intersection of church culture, leadership, ministry, and facilities.

Blog Feature

Culture | Ministry | Physical Space

How ‘Touch Starvation’ Presents the Local Church with an Opportunity

By: Benjamin Windle
May 25, 2022

Do you remember the first time you shook someone’s hand after Covid restrictions were lifted? The moment for me was when I had someone visit my house, and even though restrictions had eased, we had this awkward social moment of not knowing if we should shake hands, or just say hello. It was kind of funny because we didn’t quite know what to do with our hands. For the first time in my life, I went many months without the normal day-to-day interpersonal experiences of shaking hands, hugging, or even sitting in a chair next to someone. It presents us a fascinating learning moment.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Construction | facilities | Jobsite Safety

How Our Construction Teams Stay Connected, Supported, and Safe on the Job Site

By: Jenny Davis
May 12, 2022

Each year, Aspen celebrates Safety Week on our job sites. This gives our construction teams the opportunity to learn, support each other, and get connected through a series of learning topics, demonstrations, and fun events! Safety is a critical component for the wellbeing of our teams and clients, as well as the success of our church projects, not only during these special events, but year-round.

Read More

Share

Making Space for Millennials Executive Summary

Making Space for Millennials Executive Summary

Discover the impact Millennials' values, allegiances, and assumptions will have on your church.

Blog Feature

Church Design | interior design | lobbies

4 Ways Your Church Lobby Can Help Build a Culture of Radical Hospitality

By: Greg Snider
April 28, 2022

People find community in many places—at work, in a book club, in a neighborhood group, or by joining a gym—all fantastic ways to connect and build relationships with others. Our church lobbies play a critical role in building true community by giving people a space to encounter God together. Engaging in a church experience is about developing a deep relationship with God and fostering meaningful relationships with others.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Design | Easter | lobbies

5 Simple Ways to Get Your Church Facility Ready for Easter

By: Greg Snider
April 12, 2022

Your visitors will encounter many things before they choose a seat and listen to your sermon this Easter Sunday. How is your church facility preparing the way for your guests and helping to draw them in? Seeing your facility through the eyes of your guests will help you create a more welcoming environment and give them a reason to return. The following five tips will help you shape a positive guest experience this Easter.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Design | Multisite | lobbies

Chapelstreet North Aurora—An Adaptable Design for a Compact Space

By: Greg Snider
April 04, 2022

Chapelstreet Church was looking for a unique solution for the addition and renovation of their North Aurora, Illinois campus. This compact facility required an efficient design so the spaces could be adapted to have more than one function. Aspen was called in to help, after having partnered with Chapelstreet on their South Street and Keslinger campuses, as well as their Shepherd’s Heart Care Center. The outcome was a facility with a high level of flexibility for Sundays and mid-week activities, setting them up for success in a fast-changing culture.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Design | Great Outdoors

3 Ways to Maximize Your Church’s Outdoor Space

By: Mark Underwood
March 28, 2022

As church designers and builders, we continue to develop more intentional design around outdoor ministry spaces—bursting open the facility doors, and utilizing all of the space in creative and inspiring ways to create spaces that impact ministry and reach into the communities. It can be overwhelming to know where to start when it comes to extending your church's hospitality to the great outdoors, so it's important to assess your site so you can start to formulate a plan.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Design | emotional wellbeing | Great Outdoors

4 Questions to Consider When Assessing Your Church’s Outdoor Space

By: Mark Underwood
March 11, 2022

Spring is just around the corner, so it’s time to start thinking about your church’s site and outdoor space. In the world of church design and construction, we often stress the importance of interior connection spaces like church lobbies, cafés, and worship venues, but outdoor space is also a critical zone for building relationships and supporting ongoing ministry.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Design | Design Week | emotional wellbeing

Designing for Emotional Wellbeing: The Power of Both/And

By: Derek DeGroot
February 21, 2022

As we look to design spaces that help churches address needs for things like respite and personal connection, the interplay between the indoors and the outdoors and art and architecture can offer creative and unique solutions, and result in emotionally and mentally supportive environments. One goal of good design is to incorporate a sense of ease and emotional well-being into a space. We move beyond the purpose of simple function to create a more personal interaction and meaningful experience for the user.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Design | emotional wellbeing | Great Outdoors

Two Ways Design Can Impact Emotional Wellbeing

By: Derek DeGroot
February 15, 2022

Can you imagine if the design of your lobby, sanctuary, and gathering spaces in your church could actually help address the emotional and mental health needs of our culture today? Recent data from Barna underscores a need for churches to bring real solutions to bear on our culture's growing mental health crisis—and the spaces we provide to our congregations and communities can be a powerful tool to help people navigate their anxiety, grief, and depression in order to more deeply connect with others.

Read More

Share

Blog Feature

Church Design | Church Construction | Community Impact

Designing a Church Food Pantry that Models the Love of Jesus

By: Kristen Freeman
February 07, 2022

Shepherd’s Heart Care Center, located in Chapelstreet Church’s South Street campus in Geneva, Illinois, serves 1400 people in the Tri-City area. When this ministry began in 1999, it was a simple food pantry closet with pre-packed bags, where families in need could get a helping hand, but the small, tucked away space wasn’t sufficient to allow the team to actually build relationship with the people they served. Years later, a new, larger location offered more visibility, and the ministry grew to serve more families. But it wasn’t long before they were again busting at the seams, so they decided to expand again, but they didn’t want to limit their help to food only.

Read More

Share