When I committed this year to a blog post every day I quickly realized that many early ideas or images might not make the cut. Some days offered a wealth of opportunities. I’d pick one topic with the thought of coming back later for another, though that didn’t always happen. At other times a good idea took a back seat to something more urgent. Writing about responses to tragic events I often ... Read More
As our project with the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd nears completion, we scheduled an office tour today. I wanted the whole office to meet the organ specialists from LéTourneau, one of the premier organ builders anywhere. Their instrument has been many years in the planning, but the work to construct the organ began just this summer when the pieces were crafted from specialty materials ... Read More
This beautiful edifice on West Pine Street in West, Texas is worth noting. The wooden ornamental construction includes delightful variations on the tradition of what we now call carpenter gothic architecture. The original congregation was founded in 1875 as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. By 1883 they constructed their first church on this site. In 1901, as times changed and the congregation ... Read More
A bold, and some would say dangerous experiment was successfully conducted in Jerusalem in September. A group of religious leaders representing Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths held eight days of shared worship services together. The group gathering, given the title AMEN, was held in a communal house of prayer, a music school converted for the purpose with modest yet highly symbolic ... Read More
Drive through the small town of New Ulm in Central Texas and you’ll find a general store, a bank and even a post office off the main roads. But you’ll have to look a bit harder for the church. One block off the main street is Hickory Street where St. John Lutheran Church stands at the end of the block. The congregation was founded in 1867 by German immigrants. According to the New Ulm Chamber ... Read More
Trinity Lutheran Church in Frelsburg has deep roots in pioneer Texas. German settlers began populating the area in 1834. By 1855, this site was purchased for a church and cemetery and a new congregation was formed. The first building, according to the Texas State Historical Marker, was destroyed in a windstorm and was replaced by the current wooden structure. Curiously, there is no date for this ... Read More
Features on the Worship Facilities newsletter and website offer a snapshot of current trends or cutting edge ideas in church design. Targeted to a largely evangelical Christian audience, recent features have ranged from branding (for both the ministry and the pastor) to evaluations of seating options. The current Worship Facilities feature on church entries, with its emphasis on covered drop-offs ... Read More
I’ve passed by and noticed this church campus for many years. Stone walls under a canopy of oak trees have offer an appealing image of a quiet neighborhood church, Asbury United Methodist. Not long ago, however, there was a new sign out front. The Servant Church sign on the stone wall offers a hint of something new. The church’s website invites visitors to join a young and diverse group ... Read More
Two professors at the University of Texas have weekly series on our local public radio station that I really enjoy. Each week, Two Guys on Your Head deals with some aspect of psychology and the human brain. This series strikes the right balance between scientific rigor and cultural commentary to make some tough issues very approachable. Today, in response to a listener whose home was destroyed in ... Read More
I’m the first to admit I’ve overlooked the quality of the Hyde Park Christian Church design. Perhaps it’s because it reflects a dubious church trend of using a covered drop off for the front façade. The church is placed on a noticeable slope, with a large, barren parking lot separating it from busy 45th Street. At first glance, the entryway gives the composition the feeling of a garage or loading ... Read More
