The Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Worship Facilities Magazine is about two of my favorite subjects: children and architectural design. When you put the two together, you've got some of the most inspiring "magic" that God has created.
What do they have in common? Imagination that knows no bounds. Limitless possibilities. And they both take us out of ourselves and our mundane routines. They capture our attention, evoke emotions, and engage our thoughts like a famous painting the first time we see it up-close at a museum.
It's my hope that our Jan/Feb issue captures your attention that way. That we get you thinking of the possibilities that exist for your ministry and your church facility leading into 2010. That we put a little furrow between your brows as you consider new and exciting possibilities -- ways that God may use your ministry to call out to even more people.
We lead off the issue with writer Rachel Allen's cover story on Indiana Avenue Baptist Church (IABC) in Lubbock, Texas, designed by BASIC architecture + interiors of Dallas. Here, an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach to the design and building led Administration and Education Pastor Michael Menasco to report: "We chose the [IPD] method so we wouldn't wind up with a nice set of plans that were too expensive to actually build."
IABC wound up with a bright, bold children's ministry building, achieved at a reasonable price, that tells the local community that the church is serious about reaching children and families.
Take a look, too, at our feature on design for compelling children's spaces, "The Hands by which we Take Hold of Heaven." In this story I query a number of design experts on the most effective design innovations that are literally shaping churches and their children's ministries today. Amid all the eye-opening ideas our experts share, Bruce Barry, president and founder of Wacky World Studios in Oldsmar, Fla., reminds us to stay grounded, with our eyes on a God-directed goal, saying, "The biggest thing [in planning a themed children's space] is to make sure [you] have a plan and stick to it."
Along with children's ministry design, the Jan/Feb issue takes a look at audio concerns that each church should keep in mind -- even pastors who aren't tech-savvy. When you congregants can hear the message clearly, everything you do in your ministry has greater impact and staying power.
Then, you may be a church that's thinking of joining the 3,000+ multi-site churches that now exist across the U.S. If so, proper planning may begin with understanding the financial ramifications of going multi-site. We've included finance writer Martin Sinderman's exclusive report, "Finance and the Multi-Site Church," in the issue to help you assess your readiness.
And finally, let me tell you about a new component you'll find in the Mar/Apr issue of Worship Facilities Magazine. We're adding a Reader Feedback section where we print some of your emails about topics presented in the previous issue. This is designed to provide a jumping point for conversation between the WFM staff and readers. I'll be watching for your thoughts, so shoot me an email if a subject particularly speaks to you.
Carol Badaracco Padgettcpadgett@worshipfacilities.com
