From exterior / interior approaches; to engaging spaces for children, youth and Millennials; to community engagement by design — and more — the church design trends we’re seeing today aren’t the same as they were 10, or even five, years ago. Here, Scott A. Nelson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, explains. Let’s begin with church exteriors, […]
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By Rodney James It’s important for church leaders to know the fundamentals of the church building process. Our team is made up of experienced ministry facility design experts who desire to help educate them on the process in an effort to ensure critical steps aren’t missed. #1: Carefully think through the purpose of each area […]
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By RaeAnn Slaybaugh Editor in Chief By 1996, Cornerstone Chapel had met in a Leesburg, Va., school for several years. Growth necessitated that Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick and his team look for a permanent church home — either land on which to build on or an existing facility to renovate and call their own. […]
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By Mark R Ashcraft with Bruce Woody, AIA Youth face many challenges in our current culture, where feelings often trump facts and reality is the latest tweet gone viral. Even so, they’re still fundamentally on a formative journey of discovery; they’re still seeking their places in the world. We need to reach out and […]
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How transparency, ministry experience, integrity — and a lot of patience! — delivered a $7.2-million church construction project under budget By RaeAnn Slaybaugh Church growth of 142% over eight years. Four (soon-to-be five) campuses. A children’s ministry that sees 120% growth. When Lead Pastor Rick Lorimer of Christ Place Church (CP) in Lincoln, Neb., […]
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Cost-effective strategies for managing infrastructure By Matthew Swain, RS New buildings are a lot like new cars — they don’t usually require a lot of upkeep, at first, to keep them operating. The problem with new buildings, however, lies in the myth that I hear year after year from clients: It’s new, so it doesn’t […]
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By Rodney James Remodeling church facilities can be a painful process — but it doesn’t have to be that way. If the church takes the right steps (in the right order, with the right partner), a renovation project can flow smoothly, stay on budget, and have a positive effect on the ministries of the church […]
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By Mike Bacile The most frequent question I get from churches is, “How do we know if our church should build a café / coffee bar?” A café has so many positive possibilities to offer a church community. However, it should meet three important criteria in order to really produce the fellowship and revenue most […]
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By Mark R Ashcraft with Bruce Woody, AIA Getting people to engage in today’s fast-paced culture is challenging, with all the competition for attention we carry with us. Yet, at our core, we’re all social creatures seeking connection — real connection. As church leaders, we need to break down barriers and create authentic spaces that […]
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By Jim Peckham Building committee members and church leaders often face a dilemma when developing building plans for church facilities. Planning should begin by addressing two fundamental questions: What’s the mission for the church? And What type of facility is needed to support the mission? However, the answers to these two questions often lead to […]
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