the gothic conversation continues, continued

The Wildesign blog is moving. I've been duplicating posts here to make it easier for you, but at the end of the week I will no longer be doing so. Please update your links and bookmarks, we're here now.

So where do all these ideas get us? No where in particular, but probably closer to understanding what the results of this LifeWay study mean for us.

• We decided that, as much as we might like to, we can't completely ignore LifeWay's findings.
  
  
• It may be possible to capture what the unchurched and the emerging generations like about the cathedral-type spaces without actually hunting down someone who can sculpt gargoyles. We can design the outside of the building to be recognizable as a place of worship. We can create vast worship spaces that reflect the majesty of God, with niches that allow visitors to have an intimate experience. We can incorporate lighting schemes that help transform a space from a public setting one day, to a personal setting the next day.
  
  
• When it comes down to it, we'll continue to do what we've always done. We'll meet the pastor, the leadership and the congregation. We'll survey the neighborhood and the surrounding community, and we'll help the church discover why it's there. From there we can design a facility that will demonstrate the beauty of our God, as well as serve the people He died for.

There simply is no formula. It would be nice to survey the general population once every year or so, get an idea about the trends, and decide on a cookie-cutter church building model that will appeal to the most generic crowd.

But you and your ministry are not called to appeal to the most generic crowd. You're called to the highways and byways; you're called to the suffering and the destitute; you're called to find the lost. We could grab a hold of the latest survey and start stamping out church facilities, but we're called to help you.