Church Design

Aspen Group Blog

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

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Church Design | Making Space

Making Space Podcast Season One Recap

By: Aspen Group
January 10, 2023

The first season of the Making Space Podcast is a wrap! Thanks for joining us for this eight-part series hosted by Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle. If you missed it, you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify (or wherever you listen to podcasts), and you can learn more here. During this season, Jay and Benjamin unpacked the Barna and Aspen Group research, Making Space for Inspiration, and delved into how physical space impacts our formation as we experience Jesus together and interact with those in our community. They sat down with various leaders and thinkers to discuss how nature affects our spiritual lives, the value of historic buildings in our digital era, what the church can learn from the design of retail spaces, and offered key takeaways. The following is a quick recap.

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Church Design | Making Space

Announcing a new Barna/Aspen Collaboration, Making Space for Inspiration!

By: Aspen Group
November 02, 2022

So much goes into designing church services that are inviting, inspiring, and transformative. Here at Aspen, we believe that same intentionality should also be applied to the physical spaces in which we meet and worship. That’s why we’ve partnered with Barna Group on a new series of research reports called Making Space: Why Church Design Matters in Ministry.

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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.

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Church Design | Physical Space | Making Space

Making Space—A Forthcoming Aspen/Barna Research Project

By: Derek DeGroot
July 14, 2022

This article previews our upcoming research with Barna Group. You can learn more here about this project, which will be released later this year, and you can sign up to receive updates here. Almost ten years ago, Aspen Group (as part of a collaboration called the Cornerstone Knowledge Network) ventured into new market territory to commission a research project with Barna Group to better understand what this mysterious generation known as “Millennials” was drawn to in church spaces. We conducted surveys and focus groups, visiting church spaces in different cities with churchgoers and non-churchgoers to better understand the unique challenges facing the group born between 1982 and 2000.

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Church Design | Physical Space | Barna Podcast | Making Space

Navigating Diverse Cultural Differences—From the Church Architect’s Desk

By: Derek DeGroot
November 18, 2021

Aaron and Michelle Reyes sat down with Carey Nieuwhof this week on Barna’s ChurchPulse Weekly, to talk about making space for difficult conversations as church planters of a multiethnic church. They discussed how they navigate racial and political differences within their congregation, what they have done to meet their community’s needs, and future innovations they dream of for their physical gathering space.

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Church Design | Physical Space | Barna Podcast | Making Space

Loneliness, the Digital Age, and Church Design–From the Church Architect's Desk

By: Derek DeGroot
November 11, 2021

Recent data shows that the Gen Z generation (people born roughly between 1997 to 2010) spends an average of seven hours a day on their phone, but 79% of Gen Z people say they’re lonely. In a reality that’s become increasingly digital, there is still a strong need for physical community.

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Church Design | Physical Space | Barna Podcast | Making Space

Fostering Meaningful Relationships in a Digital Age and the Role Physical Space Plays–From the Church Architect's Desk

By: Derek DeGroot
November 04, 2021

Throughout the pandemic, the digital experience has been a lifeline for our relationships, but is technology a replacement for interpersonal connection? Jo Saxton, author, speaker, podcast host, and leadership coach, shared on Barna ChurchPulse Weekly how physical space still plays a huge role in building meaningful relationships, and supporting the discipleship journey.

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Church Design | Physical Space | Barna Podcast | Making Space

The Theology of Physical Space–From the Church Architect’s Desk

By: Derek DeGroot
October 28, 2021

We went pretty deep on the theology of space with Skye Jethani and Kimberly Deckel on this week's ChurchPulse podcast, "The Strengths and Weaknesses of American Church Traditions, Worship and Physical Gatherings." It’s a challenge to broach a topic as controversial and personal as theology when you’re talking to such a broad audience, but I think a lot of what Skye and Kimberly had to say is really important for all churches to think about: if theology is about our understanding of God, what is the theological importance of physical church spaces?

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Church Design | Physical Space | Barna Podcast | Making Space

Derwin Gray on How Physical Space Impacts Prayer–From the Church Architect’s Desk

By: Derek DeGroot
October 21, 2021

Derwin Gray, former NFL player and founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, discusses cultivating a life of prayer and intimacy with God in this week’s ChurchPulse Weekly podcast, "Derwin Gray on How the Lord's Prayer Has Reshaped How He Views Intimacy with God and His Beliefs About the Importance of Physical Space."

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Church Design | Physical Space | Barna Podcast | Making Space

Kicking off the Barna podcast series "Making Space"—From the Church Architect's Desk

By: Derek DeGroot
October 14, 2021

For six weeks in October and November 2021, Barna’s ChurchPulse Weekly will feature a series— "Making Space." As part of Aspen and Barna’s partnership on new research, Making Space for Formation, the podcast will help start a new conversation among church leaders about the role of physical space in spiritual development and the theology of space. Each week, Derek DeGroot, Aspen VP of Design and Integrated Services, will reflect on the podcast from his seat at the Church Architect’s Desk.

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