join them . Our community will have a good reason to come in during the week as well . We are a multigenerational church , and we also hoped that that our generations would feel connected with each other . In the design process , we replaced a lot of walls with glass so that we can see the ministry happening with our kids and students . Of course , we wanted our kids and students to have places where they could grow in their relationship with God for years to come . The design works well for today and gives us flexibility for the future . It ’ s a great marriage of form and function , which was important to us from Day 1 .
Was it important that the architect your church chose was familiar with this vision — and designing churches , in general ?
Merriott : It was crucial to find a partner in design who would take the time to understand us and our mission . We knew that if we could launch at the same trajectory , we could hit the same target . That relationship between us and the architect was too important to take lightly , so we set out from the beginning to find a firm that aligned with our vision and values . We had become familiar with the work HH had done , so we were already highly interested in working with them . However , their attention to us prior to the decision made a significant impression . Their initial ideas were spot on — largely because they listened so well . This project was the first new construction we had done in about 20 years , and we had big dreams of what we wanted to accomplish . It was clear after the initial pass that the size of the project was beyond where we needed to go . HH helped us quantify the costs of each element so that we could prioritize and move forward .
That calls to mind an all-too-common problem : what if a church ' s vision exceeds its capabilities ?
" We believe it ’ s imperative to envision what could be , even when this is seemingly out of reach . Initially , it ’ s important not to restrain the vision ." — Bruce Woody
provisions and limitations . Once a church ’ s goals are set , they can transform their vision into energy . Rachel Hollis , bestselling author of Girl , Wash Your Face and host of one of the most successful podcasts in the world , states : “ A goal is a dream with its work boots on . A goal is a dream you ’ ve decided to make real . A goal is a destination you ’ re working towards instead of an idea you ’ re only considering or hoping for .”
Again , related to vision , has your architectural team observed commonalities in church project visions in recent years ?
Ashcraft : I think what you are seeing today is the church getting back to its Gospel roots . There is an acceleration to the expectations of what church is , largely from our collective experiences during the pandemic . What we saw with the pandemic was the need to be adaptable on the fly , which is really a reflection of a trend towards flexibility . Planning for unknowns and building in the ability to pivot when necessary is a must moving forward . Other commonalities I ’ ve witnessed include a desire to be relevant , to be the light in the community we are called to be . This includes becoming a community central point , offering opportunities throughout the week — whether to the business community , young families , and so on . Being part of the community means right-sizing to whatever marketplace you serve , getting back to the neighborhood church focused on serving with a missional orientation . We are seeing a desire for an improved experience on campus — in worship , in fellowship , in serving . There is familyfirst driver as a nucleus to a stronger community . What used to be “ stay in your respective areas ” ( seniors , youth , adults , etc ) now involves reaching across generations , creating opportunities to engage and interact every time you dawn the doors .
Woody : We believe it ’ s imperative to envision what could be , even when it might seem to be out of reach . Initially , it ’ s important not to restrain the vision . We want to start with a blank slate . Too often , for pastors , value engineering comes to mind way before it should , and they might start ‘ attacking ’ the things that will cause immense value reduction , but drive minimal savings — finishes and fixtures , for example . Those are the parts everyone sees when they walk in . We ’ d rather plan further in advance to retain the best possible peoplefacing elements , while still adhering to budget . HH Architects ’ strength is in leading and guiding an owner to take steps towards achieving a balance of desired goals , within their budget , that exceeds expectations . That ’ s a guiding principle for us : exceeding expectations .
Ashcraft : Right — within reason , a church ’ s vision should encourage stretching beyond its capabilities . A vision should be hopeful ; it should be exciting ; it should be attainable . If leadership feels their vision is a stretch , but still attainable , craft the messaging around the final goal , but show how it can be delivered in reasonable steps as resources are obtained . We were created to be dreamers , asked to step out in faith — while being good stewards of what has been given .
Hanna : All true . Visions are meant to be an overarching dream , giving a sense of hope and purpose . To reach that vision , reasonable goals — both short-term and long-term — need to be set to meet the church ’ s
Hanna : 2020 proved to be a year of refocus for churches , communities and families . The common theme that is most intriguing to me is the acceleration on the focus around building community and being inclusive to all generations . Churches are starting to think out of the box , not only on how they operate their facilities but how the community can use their spaces during the week . We are seeing an uptick of programming for outdoor event space , multipurpose , engaging nooks for the new remote worker during the week which include pods or coffee shops , safe-havens for parents to bring their kids ( such as splash pads , outdoor play , or indoor structured play ), and recreational facilities to promote healthy living . All these spaces are being occupied during the weekdays serving the communities they are in while creating an open invitation to learn more about the Gospel .
Ashcraft : As far as casting visions , what I find interesting is how the messaging is being crafted and delivered . It has always been a matter of faith and trusting in what God will do , but there is a humbleness today I think has been missing . It is a very purposeful message getting back to the Gospel , focusing on why a project is necessary and what it will enable the church to do : reach people for Christ . There is a deeper understanding that the architectural design or buildings themselves are simply the fulfillment of a ministry vision .
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
28 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | JULY / AUGUST 2021