Facilities

By Terry Fontaine Operable partitions, also commonly known as airwalls, are versatile, movable wall systems that are produced by several manufacturers. While they’re known as walls and partitions, they’re actually entire systems that have a variety of components and parts. Across the variety of manufacturers and styles, there can be a massive amount of difference

By Steve Cohen The key to creating a facility that adds value beyond Sunday lies in the design of public space—the areas where people meet, eat, learn and relax. In the modern congregation, there are many types of public space, including lobbies, social halls, recreation rooms, youth lounges, coffee shops and corner nooks. While each

By Michael Wilson According to an August 2017 study by Forrester, a research organization that conducts surveys into business trends and directions, today’s business buyers are increasingly self-directed. By this, they mean that business-to-business (B2B) purchasers such as church administrators making buying decisions for their churches, increasingly rely solely on their own judgment. These buyers

By Julie Wenckowski Like you, I’ve participated in plenty of church planning meetings where we’ve asked ourselves: Where can we get more space for the youth group? How can we better serve our community? What is the best location to store the worship equipment when not in use? Questions like these prompted our leaders to

By Matt Morrison There are several types of floors that church properties can select from for their nurseries. Many select carpet. It helps “quiet” a nursery room. Plus, we now know that carpet absorbs airborne pollutants, helping to prevent them from being inhaled, which helps protect health. Carpet also helps prevent slip and fall accidents from occurring and is softer under

Every industry has its trends, and churches are no exception. As 2018 has gotten well underway, there are a few trends we’re seeing in church signs across the country If you’re trying to keep your church’s signage relevant during the upcoming warm months when you’ll have plenty of passersby paying attention to what you have

Those once gleaming benches and bright colored walls of your sanctuary now look pretty dingy. You know that the whole vibe of the space is several years out of date, too. It might be hard to justify the update when it comes to looking at your budget, especially if it seems to be working just

For a traveling ministry, effective use of time, space, and physical labor are of utmost importance when trying to bring their message to as many people as possible in a given time period. A mobile stage provides a safe, durable, reliable, and efficient venue for this purpose. Apex Stages is a leading manufacturer of mobile

By Neal Peters “God entrusted these facilities to you. They are His and He expects us to be diligent.” –Tim Cool, The WHY behind the WHAT: Church Facility Management Churches are so much more than buildings. They are places of worship, community, and connection. They have great meaning beyond simply floors, walls, and windows. That’s

Trends in church architecture are seeing a shift towards digital integration and bringing the community to the church through non-worship activities. As time passes, the design of the churches and worship areas must evolve with the people who utilize them. Trends in modern church-building look much different than their predecessors. Here are 4 trends we’ve

Designing a religious institution, whether it’s the construction of a new church or renovation of an existing facility, requires a delicate and poignant approach — one that pays tribute to the authenticity and history of the space, but is also mindful of the events and activities that take place within these religious environments. The most

By Rick Ritacco For anyone in charge of a high-traffic building, the perpetual, twofold mission is clear: go green and save green. The facility’s keeper makes no move without the mission in mind, always on the lookout for opportunities to support it. When facility managers think about potential areas for eco-friendly improvement, restrooms may not

By Jess Bern Outdoor LED signs appeared in the mid-1990s. Churches quickly realized how this cutting-edge technology supports an ageless message. The content on an outdoor LED sign inspires and informs church members and nonmembers alike. An LED Sign—Part of the Ministry An LED sign gives passersby some insight into all the good things going

By Amy Seretsky About 10 years ago, a New York man wrote columnist Dear Abby (Abigail Van Buren) the following letter: Dear Abby, I’m a single father of an 18-month-old and am wondering why so many public places have no baby-changing stations available in areas where men can use them. I find it hard to

By Melanie Smollen My husband was leading worship at a church I had never been to before. I planned to join him and attend the later service. When I arrived, I had no idea what door to enter, and I ended up walking in a side door that opened right up into the sanctuary while

By Paulla Shetterly Church leaders throughout America search for ways to reach and inspire the “unchurched generation.” They invest a large amount of time and energy developing approaches for inviting those persons searching into church. As they strive to recruit new members or returning former attendees, these leaders also look for methods that effectively articulate

By Ryan Nelson As the former art director at Mars Hill Church, Eleazar Ruiz is sensitive to how physical elements of a room or a service affect our posture towards God, our attitude towards worship, and our experience of a sermon. “I visited an Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, and the design and silence of the

Multi-purpose room, family life center, fellowship hall, church hall or parish hall. Call them what you want, they are a key part of a church’s interior design scheme. Over the years, the multi-purpose room has evolved from a gathering space for donuts and coffee to gymnasium style rooms that host sporting events, classes, team building,