Making Space
Designing Places of Worship that Inspire, Connect and Transform
Churches are more than just buildings, but imagine the possibilities if we could design spaces that reflect the beauty of God and draw people to him. We partnered with Aspen Group to study this opportunity, and to answer important questions, such as:
What does it mean to be formed as a follower of Jesus, and can the spaces we meet in help motivate this growth?
What experiences, both in person and online, add to—or subtract from—one’s journey to be more like Christ?
How might our physical experiences of a church relate to our worship and understanding of God?
The result is a new series of reports called Making Space, which will help you explore how the church building and the land it sits on can be used to solve some of the formative issues pastors are grappling with for their people today.
Making Space for Inspiration
In Volume 1, we set the foundation to better understand the characteristics of certain spaces and how people commonly interact with them. Just as a visitor might journey through your church building, we start with an overview of the feelings and perceptions people might bring with them into a space and what the Church can learn from this.
Through our research, we’ve discovered key trends regarding what draws people closer to feelings of transcendence and connection to the divine.
Our goal for this report, and the entire series, is to help leaders find value in the physical spaces they utilize and make space count spiritually, no matter the ministry goal or budget.
We invite you to join us in exploring how places of worship, including your church, might be used to inspire, connect and disciple.
Making Space for Community
In this second volume, we explore the beliefs, desires and expectations people have about the church building and its purpose. You’ll also find insights and ideas from pastors, Bible scholars, professors, architects and more with valuable expertise related to church design for ministry impact.
What’s important to create physical space that supports meaningful communion with God and others? Our research shows it may require a new approach to how church buildings are used to foster community—and not just for members.
The early Church is an example of how God calls believers to “join together constantly” and “enjoy favor with all the people” (Acts 2:47). How might church design support this purpose?
Making Space for Community shines light on this and the importance of the embodied church for connection and service.
Welcome to the Making Space podcast!
This podcast comes out of a decade’s long partnership between the Aspen Group and Barna. In this project, we’re focusing on the impact that physical spaces have on the way people are formed and shaped as they experience Jesus, engage with the church and interact with others in community. Co-hosted by Benjamin Windle and Jay Kim.
Produced in partnership with
