As a leader, the last thing you want is to find yourself in the middle of a complex task you aren’t sure you can do well. This fear is compounded if you’ve been a part of a failed project (of any kind) in the past. How do you get past the past, and put down any old baggage from past failures? Better yet, how do you learn from the past so that you can be calm during change and resolve all types of ... Read More
Leaders need support during times of change, so do congregations. It’s tough to get through any kind of change, even a good one like a building project, with absolute trust in the process. New parents, kids off to college, brides and grooms all have moments of doubt, if not outright fear. Your congregation members will have doubts too, beginning the second you say the words, “building project” ... Read More
We’re excited to welcome guest blogger Laura Lincoln, an expert in managing church change. Laura will be contributing a series of guest blogs over the next several weeks dealing with early issues of conflict in planning for a major building program. You know your congregation needs to make changes. Your worship space is too small or inflexible. There’s no place for staff or volunteers to work. A ... Read More
When a congregation or non-profit group is considering a building program of any size, it’s easy to overlook a range of issues that aren’t directly part of construction, but will likely occur before, during, and even after. These frustrating details have to do with all the disruptions caused by construction activity. Where will groups meet? Will they need help to move out or move in? Who will ... Read More
The national journal, Faith & Form, published Ben Heimsath's article "A Shared Process of Creation." He wrote about the architectural design process as a collaborative venture. A design created in a truly shared process has the potential to express a unique sense of spirituality. The journal does not post on-line, so the editor has given us permission to copy the published article for ... Read More
This is the final in the a three-part series on master planning with congregations. The success of the master plan can determine the outcome of a congregation's building program. The time and effort spent in master planning raises important issues early. Participants should help set the vision and establish realistic expectations for the building program to follow. 7. Zoning and development ... Read More
This is the second article in a three-part series on church master planning. The success of any church design can depend on the effectiveness of the master planning process. Here are more of the 10 Essentials of a great Master Plan: 4. Community involvement program. If your congregation doesn't support the program, it will virtually go nowhere! How the members bring their creativity and ideas ... Read More
With this post, we begin a three-part series on what it takes to produce a great Master Plan. If you'd like to have a copy of all 10 Essentials, you may download them now. The Master Plan is a crucial first step when a church or religious community prepares for a building program. The success of the Master Plan can determine the success of all the later steps of design, fundraising and ... Read More
For several decades, I have worked with churches and building committees as both an architect and interior designer. I have found that church interior design often presents a surprising challenge - how to work with color. Often, a large building committee will try to weigh-in on selections, but few people understand how color works or affects the built environment. To complicate matters, color ... Read More
"The Camel is a Horse Designed by a Committee" Why do committees get so little respect? And Buildings Committees, by reputation, are considered by many to be among the worst types of committees. We've worked with all kinds of building committees on hundreds of churches and spiritual spaces. Just about everyone of them have been phenomenal. Is the bad reputation truly deserved? In his celebrated ... Read More
