Do your volunteers have a voice?

As a church architect, I have the privilege of interacting with a diverse group of churches and faith based organizations. A common denominator in all of these organizations is that there is a group of volunteers who are critical to the success of the organization. From the person who volunteers to plant flowers, to the greeter at the door, to the person who assists in the children’s ministry, all of these positions are critical in ensuring someone in your facility clearly experiences worship and hears the gospel.

Do these front line volunteers have a seat at the decision making table? Maybe they should because they are many times the first or last touch you have with those in your facility. They can offer perspective that day to day leaders may overlook.

Also, I wonder if these volunteers realize how dependent they are to someone experiencing worship and hearing the gospel? Are these people valued in your organization? Do these volunteers realize there is dependency on what they do? If they do, they will think twice before calling off or not showing up, but for this to happen, they need to know they are valuable to the organization.

Green Design: Political Issue or Biblical Issue?

I am a Christian Architect, and believe that on day 6 of creation we were given a huge responsibility to take care of what God gave us in creation (Genesis 1:26-31).  To be honest, in the past I have struggled with the idea of green issues because I viewed it as a political issue with liberal agendas backing the push.  When I vote my morals, I have a difficult time supporting a candidate or party that does not support my views on the sanctity of life, etc.

We work with churches and faith based organizations, and feel that churches as a whole have neglected the notion of green design because of the political alignment.  I have spent a lot of time reflecting and seeking God on this issue, and am of the mindset that it is not a political issue as much as it is a Biblical issue.  We were created in God’s image “…to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. – Gen 1:26.  I believe we are to take care of what God empowered us to take care of.

I enjoy sharing my views with the churches we work and interact with, and try to make a difference by educating them on recycling programs and ways to save energy and operating dollars.  Sometimes this is embraced by church leaders and sometimes it is not, but one thing is for sure, the next generation is passionate about the environment.  I feel that green design issues will give churches an area of relevance to attract a generation that is statistically leaving the church.

Dream BIG!

Dream Big!  We allow our clients to dream big because there is always a creative strategy to bring that dream to life.  Yes, we work with our clients to determine their current budget and space needs, but it is critical to get their long range vision on paper.  I hate to see examples where  a quick fix solution is sold to a church (usally a young church) with no thought of smart expansion.  Many times this results in costly renovations to make the future phases work.  Do not hesitate to share the dream God has placed in your heart with your architect.  Dream Big!