Pastor Greg, in what ways were
the previous facilities at Bay Area
Community Church less engaging
than the new spaces?
St. Cyr: For us, environment
matters. The goal was to create
a student ministry space and
children’s addition that would
excite the next generation
to engage.
The previous space was too
small to allow large group /
small group interaction. It didn’t
provide enough ‘attractiveness’
for youth to want to be there and
bring their friends.
Inspire Church
(Houston, Texas)
The environment created in
[the new spaces] help children and
youth connect relationally with
each other, with their leaders and, ultimately, with God.
Prior to Bay Area’s building project, what expectations and wants did
individual ministry leaders express to your leadership team?
St. Cyr: In our children’s ministry, we wanted a space to facilitate
dynamic worship, small group connection, and great biblical content
that children would be excited about.
In our youth spaces, we wanted a place where young people want to
hang out, bring their friends, engage in great worship and teaching. The
goal is that this kind of space would allow the ministry to triple in size.
These expectations were most definitely met! When a parent walks into
these spaces, two things happen. First, they immediately know that we
value the next generation. Second, children and students want to be there.
Our student ministry has almost doubled in the first year.
For our experts: engaging design strategies will differ between age
groups. To that end, what design elements are most engaging for kids?
Cravens: For children’s spaces, the No. 1 thing is that it must
capture the imagination. I'm not saying your kids’ area needs to rival
Disneyworld, but it should be intentional, and it should be fun. These
areas need to create an experience that makes kids want to come back
every week.
We find that most clients still want to do a literal theme. Those
are still great ways to teach kids abstract concepts like love, sharing,
sacrifice, and friends and family. As an example, we’re doing an outdoor
adventure / hiking theme for a client. There’s a big mural of a state park
map with a dotted line; that dotted line pops to life as it winds down
the hallways and interacts with different destinations and icons that
reference back to some of those spiritual fruits. It conveys the idea that
our walk with Jesus is a journey, not a straight line — not always easy,
but an adventure with ups, downs, and everything in between.
Safety is, of course, another priority. The spaces we design are as much
for mom and dad as they are for the kids. A safe kids’ space lets them rest
easy and be present during the service.
Finally, we’re seeing an emphasis on kids’ spaces as community
spaces — opening up the church and letting it be a place, not just for
church members or people tied to the church, but for the community as
a whole throughout the week.
Waldon: For children, the first level of engagement is visual interest.
At the second level will be interactive elements like play structures
in welcome or pre-function areas. At the third (learning) level will be
spaces that are geared for collaboration and small group conversation.
Mandi and Rachele: Why did
Inspire Church prioritize its
children’s space design?
Davis & Nowling: We wanted to
capture children’s imaginations
and their sense of fun. The overall
design of the church is modern,
and we wanted to take the same
approach in each department,
including the kids’ space.
We knew we needed to create
a new normal and think outside
of the box. So, we stayed away
from things we loved, like a jungle
theme or forest theme, and instead
focused on three words: modern,
sleek and clean.
We knew we needed a design
that could captivate kids’ attention
while their parents are in church. We created an environment for
spiritual learning and fun. We, as a team, exceeded the expectations of
our current members and new members.
Each Sunday, after service, we have ‘meet the pastor’ for first-time
guests. One of the main things that guests mention is the children’s facility
and the design. The children are crying to stay, which is incredible. It’s a
great feeling to see your child have so much joy, and it connects you to
what the children’s director — and his or her team — are doing.
Helping to bring together a community in a communal space, is really
what it’s about. We’ve had children and parents from the community
come to visit the church because of the space.
Also, ensuring that space is designed so that children with disabilities
feel included has been incredibly moving for some parents. Parents can
be present in the church while feeling comfortable that their children
are being taken care of.
Ravi, what about spaces for youth, families and seniors? What are
the essentials for engagement in those areas?
Waldon: Well, youth obviously have interest in more interactive and
group activities and games in prefunction areas. A lot of youth spaces
have ping pong, foosball, and other activities. Overall, these spaces are
more intentionally relational with both large function and small group
breakout areas.
Families engage with a church for the larger community and support.
Parents will bring their children to churches that offer programs with
supporting facilities that reinforce Biblical parenting.
A safe, clean environment is important.
Fathers and mothers each look for support with spaces for Mothers of
Preschoolers (MOPS) and other such programs.
Perhaps more than other age groups, seniors are looking for a sense
of timelessness and heritage in church design. Beyond the inspirational
aspects of design are the pragmatic ones: walking distances, clarity of path,
accessibility, opportunities to lounge and rest frequently along the path.
An engaging churchgoing experience means that members, guests and
visitors feel welcome and engaged on campus all week long. In what
ways can thoughtful design help make that a reality?
Cravens: For us, ensuring engagement all week means places for kids to
play. Parents are always looking for new places for their children to enjoy.
It’s interesting — sometimes we work with clients that have to
make hard budget decisions, so they eliminate the kids’ area but keep
the café. There might be good reasons for that in certain churches; but
we’re passionate about the fact that there are lots of place for mom
CHURCH EXECUTIVE.COM | 11