Only two of the 10 most innovative churches are being innovative about their building.
This surprised me. "Innovative" is developing a connotation that has to do with the latest and greatest technology. Microsites (such as ineed2change.com from Fellowship) and web-based technology (such as youversion.com from LifeChurch.tv) may be the easiest way to innovate, but it's not the only way.
Mars Hill Church in Seattle (#2 on the list) transforms its main campus each December 31 for its annual "Red Hot New Year's Eve" party. They create a safe, dry (except for the champaign at midnight), and really hip environment for New Year's eve. A feat I can't imagine in the the heart of Seattle. Their newest campus is a renovated dance club (which caused a stir in the community), and they're offering pet-sitting during weekend services.Seacoast in South Carolina (#5 on the Innovative list) is also re-thinking the use of space. From Outreach:
Seacoast Church continues to expand to multiple states and is looking at a micro-site approach, asking how small a site can be and still be a church ... Informal versions of Seacoast have cropped up in non-traditional sites, including submarines and military bases around the world.Local churches, especially if you're not multi-site (yet?), may find more value in thinking innovatively (yup, made that word up myself) about their buildings.
If you're in a building project, or getting ready to start one, turn your Innovative switch to ON and tape it there. Get your building team together and have some crazy, the-box-is-no-where-in-sight brainstorming sessions (you can reel them in later). Don't just create what you've seen, or what works for Seattle. Ask your team what God has called you to do, what you're passionate about, and what your community needs, and build a facility that will help you do that.
In a region and a time when its easy to just build a cookie-cutter church building, that's innovative.
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