re:DESIGNING WORSHIP

redesigning worship has moooooved!

2010-01-19T11:13:00.005-05:00

ooops! if you've come to this site looking for redesigning worship blog, i've moved! you can find our updated site by going to www.redesigningworship.com. hope to see you soon at the new place.

life rhythm: CELL, CELEBRATION & CALL - a ginghamsburg worship series

2009-11-27T15:37:00.005-05:00

ginghamsburg's mission statemen:
bring seeking people into a life-CELEBRATION of jesus
grow in cell COMMUNITY
serve out of our CALL and giftedness.

this year our fall stewardship series didn't quite reach into advent so we created a mini 3-week series on the DNA of ginghamsburg, a rediscovery of our life rhythm of CELL, CELEBRATION and CALL. the slideshow describes the actual materials and project of the main campus worship area space design for this series.

heritage/prayer room at the Fort

2009-11-10T17:59:00.003-05:00

our fort mckinley campus church came to us complete with 100 years of rich history and all the hundreds of photos to prove it. we'd been able to repurpose the wood salvaged from the stage/chancel area of the sanctuary as wainscoting in that room. a new color scheme and vine/burnished metal light fixtures served to enhance the leaded glass windows and we began to see the potential for a "wall of faith" - a creative display of the key photos from the fort's 100 years of history. we purchased and painted squares of drywall, then made sepia copies of all the photos chosen for the project. matching all the photos into the same sepia color scheme was the key to a cohesively designed look. we arranged them in chronological order onto eight drywall squares with room on the 8th for good things yet to come. the "bling" of the project was the use of small pieces of wood trim - salvaged and a few purchased pieces- painted to match the wood and add some visual appeal to the overall display. seeing the legacy of God's work is always cool - but we believe the best is yet to come!

LAUGHLINES worship area design

2009-10-15T23:41:00.004-04:00

LAUGHLINES was our september message series - a response to the failing economy and our collective need to lighten up a bit and enjoy the gifts God's given. we wanted to go for a comedy club look so we purchased brickboard paneling and decopaged large posters to the cut out paneling pieces - dried and sanded to imitate the look of old painted brick.

along with the hanging brickboard posters we invited our ginghamsburg artists to create canvas paintings in the same color scheme - paintings that depicted laughter and joy in some way. take a look at the results of this worship area design.

ginghamsburg BRINGS IT

2009-09-07T21:43:00.022-04:00

ginghamsburg is closing a 5-week message series on servanthood. we called it CHURCH IS A VERB and had some really memorable worship weekends. speakers brian brown, kevin applegate, dave hood and nick cunningham spoke passionately to bring the message home. since ginghamsburg is a mission-driven church community the idea of church being a verb - the action arm of God in the world - is not a foreign concept. we all need reminders from time to time, however!

this past weekend was the culmination of the series as we shared communion, honored 17 - 2009 "towel and basin award" recipients, and lastly were all given the chance to name our own verbs of service. we each identified the unique verb that describes what we do best and wrote that verb on a rock. when we walked up to receive our communion elements we offered up those rocks - and put them in baskets that were carried up to the altar built on the stage. powerful moments in worship.

children's festival @ ginghamsburg

2009-08-18T18:36:00.005-04:00

one of our recent events/décor projects was the ginghamsburg children’s festival~blessing of the backpacks that took place on the lawn this past sunday. over 400 backpacks were blessed by our lay pastors to send our kids off to school with God’s protection and direction – all the while inflatables, walking tacos, pizza, games, contests and a climbing wall held great attraction for the families. this outreach event featured our individual ministry areas each sponsoring a portion of the festival, deploying over 130 servants beautifully pulling off what one team alone could never do. what a great idea – what great kids – what a great God!!!

redesigning worship...again!

2009-08-02T17:31:00.002-04:00

these last two weeks have been a blur - two full-day retreats with our worship design team partnering to dream news ways to keep it real in our eight worship celebrations each week. we've been at this teamwork nearly 15 years but every good system deserves a tweak now and then. ginghamsburg encompasses two campuses, several rotating weekend pastor/speakers and a full crew of servants poised to step on board and change the world. these are exciting times!

august is normally our servant series month - time to affirm "old" servants and recruit new in order to deploy the mission of jesus as we know it in 2009. mike slaughter detailed this important principle of renewal in his book, "spiritual entreprenuers" back in the late 80s. now, more than ever as each of us search for our own purpose and significance, the Great CEO calls us to "grab a towel" and start washing the feet of the world- "Church Is A Verb!" check out your best place to serve @ www.ginghamsburg.org/serve. and if you're so inclined, we'd love to have you in worship/arts!

anthro in atlanta

2009-07-18T19:08:00.011-04:00

people often ask "how do you get your ideas? what do you do for inspiration?" every artist, designer or co-creator needs to be able to unplug and find places that stir up new visions. one of the places that sparks my best ideation is the globally famous "anthropologie." it's a mall kind of store- usually one cavernous room full of french kitchenware, items for the home, candles, toiletries and totally unique (and pricey) women's clothing. i seldom actually make a purchase at anthro but my mind is crazy full of new ideas every time i peel myself out of the store. the thing i like best about the store displays is that it's mud n spit in nature. most of the decor materials are natural resources you can find or purchase for pennies - all boldly combined into fun and striking displays.

today's catch featured waves of cardboard squares screwed into the entryway walls,
a wall of eclectic clocks - some old and some even fake - jumbled over a very yummy wall of classy old cupboards, a mobile created from hangers covered w/ printed paper - all nicely arranged. a candle set inside a glass container potted down into popcorn, lentils or rubberbands is such a lovely occasional feature in the store. a twine trellis stretched across a simple wood frame fastened to the back of an old table gives an inspiring backdrop, encouraging tomatoe plants to stretch and grow. slices of birch logs lined up into a trunk shape then sport 1" disks of the same type tree as leaves. mounted on floral wallpaper the faux birch tree gives me a peaceful, happy feeling :)

i've got ideas to take back to tipp city and try out, both in my home and at ginghamsburg church. gotta love mud n spit design.

summer style

2009-07-17T22:21:00.020-04:00

following the birth of amari life picked up speed. i find myself needing to get back to blogging and sharing more pictures, ideas and what's going on in general...summer style.

african tent event
ginghamsburg is currently hosting 12 african pastors to help them learn everything we know about effective communication. our ginghamsburg host families and these pastors gathered for dinner in our summer event tent last sunday evening. we used plants, small metal fence pieces and a casual grilled meal to help the pastors feel right at home.

avenue paint project
during the last month the makeover team servants have joined the movement to paint the avenue classrooms. i chose a new color scheme that is working well - all colors from lowe's: blue ironwork, salmon shade, olive 4 and vintage grey. with large walls and limited design budget we used paint to frame out windows and paint accents where possible. we're almost done with all the classrooms and when finances get freed up we'll do the large gym area using the same basic color scheme.

atlanta design fun
we are now in atlanta, ga. visiting our kids and helping our son benj design and furnish the now-being-built office space for his design company (eyespeak.com)
the space has an open loft kind of feel - warm wood ceiling, exposed lighting and ductwork - with a stained cement floor and some brick accent walls. benj loves wall climbing and is going to feature an authentic climbing wall in the entryway. his clients are attracted to the young, talented staff and we feel the climbing wall will create a distinctive environment that well-describes the staff within.

Amari's Room

2009-06-30T19:20:00.013-04:00

While in Iowa City Clark and i were able to help our kids in a number of ways: visiting them in the hospital and lovin' on our new granddaughter, unpacking boxes in the new/old home our kids had just moved into (circa 1860, next to a beautiful city cemetary) cleaning, landscaping and staging their home (including Amari's room) to prepare for return of the new family. We enjoy using our skills and passion wherever God may lead :) Here are a few photos of the work we did.

new life

2009-06-22T12:42:00.004-04:00

we received a surprise package arrive last thursday, june 18. amari mckay casto was born to daughter and son-in-law heidi and andy casto. amari came via emergency c-section three weeks early, amidst a flurry of unexpected happenings. we are so grateful she is healthy and thriving.

after a 3 1/2 day hospital stay everyone came home (andy and heidi are both grad students in ceramics at the university of iowa) where husband clark and i had been busily cleaning and unpacking their "new" vintage 1860 house. amari is a beautifully designed little girl, so very special in all her 5+ lbs. it's a blessing to see our family growing. God is good, don't you know?

Backyard Project

2009-06-12T12:05:00.004-04:00

years ago after realizing our ministries would need to share spaces and create welcoming -albeit temporary- environments for each week's gatherings, our weekend children's ministry landed in the large gym area of the AVENUE. they use the stage, lights and media that large space provides and fence in a large portion of the floor. upon entering the "BACKYARD" kids cross over a wooden bridge and encounter a nice variety of learning centers to drive home the themes that are also creatively depicted on the stage.

last night some of our makeover servants dove in to repaint the "sheds" that are rolled in to house the learning centers (our kid's karate class were working their moves while we painted.) we are going with a new color scheme that will eventually be blended with new palette for the AVENUE gym and classroom walls. LOVE the fresh look!

everyday inspirations

2009-06-09T13:17:00.042-04:00

i am an inspiration addict and it doesn't take crazy extravagant visuals to send me into a grateful fit of joyous inspiration. here i'm posting a random assortment of my "everyday inspirations" from the last three days: my daughter heidi who is 8 months prego and the antique rocker i just recovered for her/them, the ginghamsburg zumba class that decided to take it outside this morning, the purple clematis from my garden (yay God!), mud n' spit design from my favorite retail destination "anthropologie." Creator God is always showing up, so enjoy some everyday inspiration!

Hero Academy ~ Set Design

2009-06-03T22:43:00.008-04:00

today five women combined efforts to create a stage set for our ginghamsburg children's ministry summer series. their stage is in our student activity center (the avenue) and we feel they deserve a great background over which to experience the powerful message of jesus for their young lives. check out our process for creating the Hero Academy set design in this video>>>

spiritual cravings

2009-06-01T15:57:00.007-04:00

when i'm hungry i crave real food. when i'm working hard i crave thirst-quenching water. when i'm exhausted i crave a good night's sleep.

this past weekend mike began a series on the holy spirit and ended his message with the allowance that many of us may not even feel the need for MORE connection to God. it's tough to get excited about reading the bible or asking for the holy spirit to move through us if the CRAVING is missing. mike suggested that if we aren't yet hungry for the WORD that we might consider reading a book that helps us get in touch with the the "felt need" of our own hunger for God. God designed us for relationship but it is entirely possible to be so detached from this connection that we aren't even aware we have it. the craving has been temporarily satisfied with things that feed us just enough to camouflage our real hunger - like snacking around instead of waiting until supper's ready.

i always have a good book next to my bible. i need to hear fresh voices with skin on, other jesus-followers who struggle and start over each day. i've expanded my reads by sharing with a group of women who are all absorbing the same book and get together once a week to talk about it. we choose our books carefully with the common felt need to "get our butts kicked and move forward with our lives." one of our best reads was "one month to live - thirty days to a no-regrets life" by chris and kerry shook. i blogged about this book awhile back.

most recently we have been working through "journey to freedom" by scott reall. it's a recovery book for the everyday person who wants to make real progress towards emotional and spiritual health. the daily reads constantly require us to depend on the holy spirit for each day's journey and suggests scripture to seal the lesson deal into our hearts. some readings hold new stuff for me, some not so new. the point is i need REMINDERS and butt-kickers each and every day. i want to MAXIMIZE my life and that is what creates my CRAVINGS. in the words of aerosmith...

i don't wanna close my eyes
i don't wanna fall asleep
'cause i'd miss you [jesus]
and i don't wanna miss a thing

next we plan to share this little book i have from the 70s called "adventures in prayer" by catherine marshall. it's not in print anymore but i LOVE the way it creates a CRAVING inside me to talk to and trust God more. i'm going to make bootleg copies to give to my girls for our group's benefit.

do you have a book that has helped expedite your God-connection? Please share it with a comment below.

post mission reflections

2009-05-30T12:06:00.004-04:00

the team left slidell, louisiana at 5:30 a.m. friday morning. we had scheduled to leave at 5 but gale pence snoozed through his alarm :))) back to ginghamsburg in our two vans + trailer, we experienced great weather and many more laughs and God-connections. when we pulled into ginghamsburg's parking lot i thanked God for the beautiful green landscape, the great blue sky and the luxury of living in a clean, dry, mold-free home. we take so much for granted.

the team will gather again tonight to worship at ginghamsburg's 5 o'clock celebration. meanwhile i'm reflecting on my God moments over the last week. here's a few things that inspired me:

*we prepared as best we could for this trip, but God orchestrated the right church/building, the right servant team and the right skills and gifts for the mission. God specializes in what we can't do.

*while i've spent a lot of time looking for people i can love, true community is waking up and realizing you've begun to love those God's found. i wouldn't trade away anyone who went on this trip. everyone was there for a unique purpose and calling.

*most people look for work that gives them joy. these servants found joy in whatever work came their way.

*people who are painfully shy and reluctant to open up somehow can't quit talking once they have a scraper or a shovel in their hands. side by side is how we got things done and how God came near.

*when we are loved and accepted, we become our true selves. when we're our true selves, we are a heck of a lot of fun. that's community.

Day 6: Mission Accomplished

2009-05-29T00:33:00.005-04:00

as mission trips go, today was bittersweet. after quick stops to the rental shop and lowe's we got right to work at mt. zion. the team was anxious to get as much done as possible and leave a cleanly gutted building- prepared for the [re]building to begin.

we wanted to cover the round window opening where once a lovely stained glass design had been in order to protect the building from further water damage. jim t. had a middle-of-the-night idea to make it a nice design - like a faux stained glass window. i looked up some verses on my blackberry and found psalm 102:16, "for the LORD will rebuild mt. zion." it was exciting for me to work a design project. lori and i did the painting - jim and clark did the hanging, and wha-la -the temporary window covering is now a word of hope for the mt. zion church family and surrounding community.

lunch was a barbeque with the seniors (we love them!) and dinner was a spread put on by some of the church family. we got to see photos of one family's hurricane experience and worshipped with ira wray. the day ended with a combined tour of the demo-ed church building, songs, prayers, hugs and farewells. these people will be in our hearts and we feel invested in their future. please keep their rebuilding in your prayers.

Day 5: demo demo demo

2009-05-27T15:21:00.005-04:00

(lori meyer writing)
on day 1 it was almost impossible to imagine that we would finish any, if all, of the projects listed on clark's team checklist. yet, after three days of scraping paint, destroying walls, taking down ceiling tiles and packing 2 dumpsters full of debris we are finally seeing progress! accomplishing these tasks has given the group momentum and will carry us through tomorrow, our last day of work.

as we enter and leave the church building we can see an expansive, vacant lot in the area across the street, and in the distance the superdome. each time i glance that way, i cannot forget the images i saw on tv during the hurricane and aftermath. i can only imagine the heartache so many suffered. we were told this area will soon be full of new public housing. how exciting it is to think that mt. zion will be in the midst of this new community and in the perfect position to help those in need in their own neighborhood. it's also humbling to know that we are a little part of this reconstruction and rebirth.

**please pray for mt. zion's pastor, connie thomas, who was admitted to the hospital today with a blog clot in her lung. we hold these people in our hearts.

Day 4: a double dumpster day

2009-05-26T21:46:00.013-04:00

today was a quick stop at the rental store for scaffolding, then on to mt. zion for a very full day of scraping floors and walls, removal of large damaged ceiling tile @ a height of 40'(and a temp of 98 degrees) and complete gutting of three second floor classrooms. the work is grueling (two-30 c.yd. dumpster fulls) but nary a whiner among us. i don't mind putting in a hard day of work but these people put me to shame. they do love to serve.

before leaving ohio we'd notified bruce nolan, reporter for the new orleans times-picayne of our 50th trip. bruce stopped by mt. zion to say hello today and we caught him on video - hoping to post it here. more to come tomorrow.

Day 3: demolition begins

2009-05-25T21:26:00.005-04:00

you can dress'm up and take'em out, but ginghamsburg servants are happiest when you set'em loose on a work project. this team of 20 is the most insanely hard-working group of people i've ever encountered. today we scraped, pulled,tore out and hauled a 30-yd.dumpster full of post-hurricane *&^%! it was incredible to watch these people work. we'll need medication in the morning i'm sure.

even thought this is a struggling church, mt. zion is also a mission-driven movement. every tuesday evening they turn their little meeting space into a free "luke's clinic," offering various medical tests and information by volunteer nurses, doctors and dieticians. every third saturday they hold a family fun fest, welcoming up to 50 neighborhood children into the church family for a morning of dancing, singing and play. God is good, all the time and in so many awesome places.

Day 2: exploring the city

2009-05-24T21:10:00.014-04:00

(mickey langston writing today)
today was a day of many sights, sounds and emotions. we woke up early and headed into new orleans for worship at mt. zion church. the congregation welcomed us with open arms. they were so grateful to finally have a team of people give them the hope of rebuilding the sanctuary they loved and lost to katrina. the joy of worship and promise...

we walked through the once beautiful church after service with a few men from the congregation. we saw where the water level settled on the front doors of the church, walked into the sanctuary to find peeling paint, damaged plaster and mold. the sorrow of loss...

we left the church and spent the day touring the french quarter. we broke into two groups and set out for lunch. each group experienced the flavors and smells of cajun food, and pralines. one group feasted on beignets and cafe au lait at the world famous cafe du monde. we visited st. louis cathedral, watched talented street performers and heard music in the streets. the excitement of exploring new places...

after we left the city we decided to visit the lower the 9th ward where katrina ravaged the city after the levees were compromised. it's so hard to believe after five years that so many damaged homes sit empty and overgrown with grass and weeds, windows broken and roofs missing. words cannot explain what our eyes witnessed and our hearts felt. many houses were marked with an x and numbers of the dead once inside. the heaviness of lives lost and homes destroyed...

Day 1: the journey

2009-05-23T23:20:00.008-04:00

we arrived in slidell around 8 p.m., moved our belongings into the dorm room and settled in a bit. half the group went to walmart for groceries and picked up pizza for dinner at papa johns. it's amazing how adaptable and easy going servants can be. we are going to worship at the church we'll be serving at this week, mt. zion umc on louisiana ave. in the heart of the city of new orleans. we'll grab some time exploring the area tomorrow before returning to slidell for the night. monday begins the demolition! posting lots of little videos here - still learning to work the FlipShare device.

twas the night before new orleans...

2009-05-22T23:08:00.003-04:00

i'm watching the 11 o'clock news before going to sleep for the "night." our bags are packed, the trailer's parked outside and our dog Buddy is predictably depressed having watched us prepare to leave during the evening.

the alarm is set for 3 a.m. when clark and i'll rise to meet 20 other adults from ginghamsburg ready to set out for our 50th mission trip to the gulf areas hit hardest by hurricane katrina. we'll be concentrating our efforts by coming alongside the mt. zion umc - a community of brothers and sisters on lousiana ave. in new orleans - who are still displaced by the flood waters. we understand we'll be doing mostly demolition work to prepare for later rebuilding.

i'm looking forward to traveling with friends - some new and others i've worked alongside all year long. we'll be posting our journey and videos here on this site. welcome along!

repurposed

2009-05-07T23:51:00.009-04:00

we were asked to create a ginghamsburg bookstore (aka "the vine") presence/location at our fort mckinley campus... a somewhat portable, lockable kiosk-type cart that would attraction attention and enable the fort to sell resources, message cds/dvds and mission tshirts. i researched carts and found them online beginning at around $1000 - a bit pricey. at the same time we'd been painting a large classroom at the fort and i hardly knew what to do with the large, random pieces of furniture in that space.

we ended up dry-brushing that plywood furniture with a coat of "india ink" (valspar, martha stewart colors) and in a blissful moment i realized that we could repurpose one of the classroom cupboards into a bookstore cabinet/cart! we installed new locks, moved the cupboard out into the worship lobby and set out to design and customize it's look. a little paint + some mud n'spit = a beautiful bookstore location.

creating welcoming spaces

2009-04-22T21:44:00.003-04:00

ginghamsburg is a mission-driven church but that hasn't excused us from valuing our visitors! we strive to create welcoming spaces that invite guests to feel at home and navigate effectively on campus. we don't have much community space built into our campus so we max out the spaces we have. conversation areas, great signage, information when needed. these are elements of a church that strives to welcome new guests and encourage the community spirit within. what does your church do to create welcoming spaces? we'd love to know.

rainy days and mondays don't always get me down

2009-04-06T20:41:00.003-04:00

...and today was one monday that was perfectly awful outside - rain, snow, sleet and very cold. inside the fort was a different story. five servants painted, sanded, hung lights, munched on salad and brownies and shared stories. this extra room off the main worship lobby has now been transformed into a prayer room. new furniture is yet to come - and decades of historic fort mckinley photos will grace the wall on the left side of the room. all oak wood paneling was repurposed from the worship stage/pulpit area.

as the first prayer in the new prayer room, i downloaded the "prayer for darfur" from www.prayerinstitute.com and read it aloud at lunchtime. we know God hears us, even in a small room in a depressed city on a rainy monday afternoon.

meanwhile, back at the Fort...

2009-03-31T00:08:00.003-04:00

a lot has happened at the Fort in the last several weeks and months. we bit the bullet and went to work in the basement. i don't have before pictures, but trust me we've come a long way baby. lots of joint compound texture treatments, creative pipe painting and a few well-placed wall pieces. pastor dave hood asked us to create spaces that would lift the vision of the food pantry clients - pictures of what can be. the best thing about great design is that it inspires all who experience it.

office space

2009-03-17T23:30:00.004-04:00

every once in awhile i get to pull in a few servants and do an office makeover. these are especially fun when the staffperson has a theme or a vision of what they'd like and it's our challenge to fulfill that concept.

in this case the staffperson has been out of the office for three months. ron incurred a fractured hip when his car was broadsided one evening before christmas on his way home from work. he had already been asking for an office makeover and had several pieces to contribute to an "old world" theme.

an old world theme begs brownish-gold walls. this was a "no budget makeover" so we used several shades of gold left over from different projects. i discovered a new wall treatment using a "woolie" - a rectangular furry wool pad that blends multiple colors together in shades and shadows. you can purchase your own woolie at menards and it's worth the price. kind of made lori and i look like artistic geniuses. we really recommend the woolie and hope ron likes his new office space.

i read a quote from "one month to live" this week that spurs me on: our greatest pleasure in life often comes from serving others, from giving them what no one else can provide in that exact time and place." i hope you enjoy the same pleasure.

ginghamsburg welcomes narnia

2009-03-09T17:22:00.010-04:00

two weeks ago we gathered up a collection of artsy servants to create stage sets for ginghamsburg's "backyard" children's ministry as well as our six clubhouse outreach locations. both were approaching a "narnia" series using the chronicles of narnia and the new prince caspian.

8 sheets of foam, 12 carpet roll tubes, 32 yards of canvas and four cans of paint later... we had narnia! i visited the backyard this past weekend and felt excited along with the kids as they watched a clip from the movie- falling in love with aslan all over again.

something's got to go...

2009-03-04T00:45:00.002-05:00

i love hearing different people's "new things" for this year, both on this blog and in recent conversations. ash wednesday i really searched for the one thing that i would give up or take on during lent this year. i always yearn for more connection time w/ God but had no idea how to pack that into the already-full days. something's got to go, ya know?

turns out i could give up fiction TV and gain at least an hour a day - who knew? fiction TV for me are the crime shows that i love to watch but seldom remember the next day. sheer entertainment exchanged for listening/reading/journalling/praying time - just for lent, mind you. i'm missing CSI, The Mentalist and Without A Trace... but somehow feeling a little freer to explore different aspects of God's big plan.

what's got to go for you this lenten season?

what's new with you?

2009-02-16T16:17:00.003-05:00

january is a great time to set new goals and to hear from God about fresh vision for our lives. i’ve enjoyed hearing God urge me to move forward in several areas of my life: family relationships, personal health and fitness, extended networking/influence and last but not least, new design projects in my day job! new things keep me excited about life. God asks that we sing him new songs! created in God’s image, we all yearn for new things to keep life fresh and vital.

recently we drove to atlanta to check in on our favorite new person, linkin urijah miller. link is five months old now and we totally want to be in our grandson’s life. we’ll need to lose some of the old things that used to take our time in order to make space for this new little bundle of relationship.

what is a new thing for you this year? new job, new hobby? a new goal you’re achieving? a new project you’re diving into?

what’s new with you?

one month to live

2009-01-28T23:33:00.003-05:00

it’s january 28th, 2009. do you know where your new year’s commitments are? did you resolve to “make all things fine in 2009?”

one of my best next-things has been involving myself with a group of six other women who gather weekly to deal with real-life issues in the context of a book study. our new-year’s book choice is “one month to live ~ 30 days to a no-regrets life.” at first the title sounded gimmicky – and i hate gimmicks. The premise of the book is that most of us live in denial that we’re ever going to die – and thus we live our days in mediocre ways, always telling ourselves that there’s plenty of time to get our stuff together. readers must pretend we have only 30 days to live. now after the 11th day of reading, journaling, discussing and working the material i’ve discovered there’s freedom in the process.

everyone in the group has committed to flesh out each day’s reading/journaling in no less than a half-hour a day… writing notes and answering questions IN our books – getting messy and honest and saying how it really is. the authors (kerry and chris shook) claim that healthy things grow so we’re simply focusing on getting healthy.

the four parts /principles in the book that explore individual health are:

live passionately
love completely
learn humbly
leave boldly

my favorite “epiphany” in the first part came from this quote by howard thurman, “don’t ask what the world needs. ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

winter's gifts

2009-01-18T22:56:00.006-05:00

people often ask me how my husband clark is doing – having been seriously injured in our motorcycle accident back in august. good news is that clark is doing well - and now sports three titanium plates in the left side of his face. a not-so-special effect of our recent frigid weather, however is that clark’s face gets uncomfortably cold. heidi (seen here w/ husband andy) made him a special face warmer that helps keep her dad's face warm. for all you knitters she used a soft wool – rib stitched on a circular needle. it’s been a welcome gift of love.

temporarily escaping the cold weather, clark left early this morning for the gulf. he’s leading ginghamsburg’s 47th mission team as a response to continue rebuilding following the hurricane katrina devastation. the team will watch the inauguration from new orleans.

Listen to Heidi’s storytelling about her dad, ‘Priceless.’

God is good, all the time.

champions for the arts

2009-01-11T12:25:00.009-05:00

each winter nancy beach and the willow creek association pull together a group of 30 "arts champions" chosen from all the over country to participate in conversations around the use of arts in the church and our call to ennoble, connect, equip, and refresh church artists. last week we met in orlando and brainstormed how to best accomplish this purpose in the context of a stressed economy when outward mission is still so very critical.

while most of our churches tend to swing the pendulum wide, the truth is that the gospel is both attractional and missional. jesus used compelling storytelling methods - while lifting up the great needs of all God's children across the world. i want to be part of a church that greatly understands the need for both - and invests itself in the passionate and relentless pursuit of making disciples through the combination.

willow always treats us to an inspiring field trip during this gathering- this year's being EPCOT. thanks nancy and team - for including all of us in the adventure. visit www.towardwonder.com for information on this year's arts conference - inspiration and innovation on a much larger scale.

transformations and fresh starts

2009-01-05T14:42:00.008-05:00

everyone needs a fresh start in some area of life. i love the idea that yesterday's failures don't have to be today's extra baggage. i love that we don't have to be stuck in same-'ol, same-'ol... and that God's grace is ever prodding us towards the new thing, the fresh start, the way where there seems to be no way. it's why i love makeover projects. fresh looks cause us to view our lives in fresh ways. UNSTUCK!!! (hey, i think there's an upcoming message series at ginghamsburg on this very subject...)

i've been part of a mini-makeover team (husband clark, friend robin, + kim) who in the last year have transformed my brother's 7-room coffee house in granville, ohio in our "spare" time. i most recently recovered four chairs to finish one room. see the photos at the bottom of this post- a glimpse into the new look at www.riverroadcoffeehouse.com.

recently a couple from ginghamsburg -walt and debbie toney- offered up a large amount of pottery to be sold and profits go towards THE SUDAN PROJECT. the potters who made this pottery already had their work featured at river road... so we struck up a deal to sell this larger amount right there at river road. it's a win-win-win scenario. my brother gets added inventory (which was needed), the toneys get to give a larger gift than they'd orginally planned, and the people of SUDAN will benefit greatly in the end. God is good!

christmas eve in the lobby

2008-12-25T17:48:00.006-05:00

our artist/makeover team designed the lobby experience this year. we used blue lights and twigs to complement the worship theme "eyes wide open~christmas can still change the world" (see adjoining christmas eve message by mike slaughter). chandeliers by chad, trees by robin, centerpieces by brandon, bistro tables by heather, high-up jobs by lori, various tasks by laura, blue gels by rachel and coordination by kim.

alternative christmas

2008-12-17T21:20:00.007-05:00

creating environments is at the core of my passion...so when it's time for christmas i feel excited and open for new, nontraditional ways of expressing the joy of the season. this year as i set out to create environments at home and ginghamsburg i hear these words: everything you need you already have.

since mid november i've been soaking in alternative christmas environments. natural, ordinary elements gathered in non-traditional ways with an aspect of surprise on the side. i visited anthropologie - always a favorite spot for collections of natural pieces integrated in totally alternative ways.

during the thanskgiving holiday i spent two hours at a new favorite haunt in the iowa countryside called "sisters." i was so inspired i took pics: cuttings from nature + repurposed discards + new cool pieces. a delicious combination.

fast forward to my own home for the holidays. my self-inflicted rules: no traditional tree + no new purchases (i'm a horrible consumer.) my goal: to reflect a more sudan-esque and a less "north pole" feel. bunches of twigs, bittersweet, grapevine, pine needles and landscape burlap later an alternative christmas theme emerged... and i discovered that everything i needed i already had.

hearts for the sudan

2008-12-12T00:44:00.007-05:00

five years ago ginghamsburg church families conceded that christmas was not our birthday, but jesus’ birthday. men, women and children committed to giving as much towards the plight of the sudanese as we spend on our own christmases each year. while at first it seemed a tough pill to swallow, we now realize there is no other way to celebrate the season.

people being people, we also need visuals- artwork, photographs, yearly reminders of what we are about. last friday night we hosted a reception in our worship space for three of our staff from darfur. (meet them by watching mike’s message last weekend, good news to the poor.)

also last weekend the children of ginghamsburg demonstrated amazing talent and commitment through their sudan bazaar. the gifts they crafted (all proceeds go to the sudan project) were inspiring in creativity and quality. i smiled to see our guests from darfur visit the bazaar and experience the love that the kids had put into that day.

in the hallways at ginghamsburg we feature photos taken by mike’s son jonathan last year during their trip to darfur. the photos are incredible; their subjects are beautiful- and the children make you want to smile and cry at the same time. our makeover team took four days to prep a new wall background, carefully assembling, mounting, and arranging the photos that will remain up for the next year – a constant reminder to our church family of the people we seek to serve.

also in our hallways during advent is our heart for sudan, featured pieces crafted by ginghamsburg and dayton artists, on sale until christmas – with all sales monies also going towards the project.

i’m thankful when i realize the privilege and power of being part of such an important and heart-rending mission. how do you feel about it?

classy room

2008-11-26T05:54:00.002-05:00

the first time I saw these basement classrooms at the Fort (a wall was removed between them) i got the creeps. It was a claustrophobic space, badly in need of an update. significant servant hours + paint in 3 colors + special wall and tile treatments + awesome furniture and carpet finds + a little mud ‘n spit = 1 classy room. now i would love to take a class in this space designed for 60 persons. it was in fact used immediately for a marriage class tonight!

new wall treatments

2008-11-19T18:30:00.009-05:00

we used a couple wall treatments on the fort basement project that produced great results. both are simple and cost-effective so i thought i'd describe them.

the first is what we call "dry-brushing." i don't think we made it up- but i don't know exactly where we got the idea either. basically you start with a wood-grain surface - nasty old brown paneling, for instance, or an old piece of furniture that you want to update - and brush black paint onto it, brushing in the direction of the grain. be careful not to put too much paint on. the desired effect is for a little of the brown wood grain to show through, creating a black-brown color with a hint of wood grain. This is a popular finish at IKEA and so we tried to emulate it to match our old, used furniture with new pieces we'd purchased for the same room. we used the same treatment on a dresser and mirror for my brother's coffee house redesign project -as well as shelving for daughter heidi's pottery at the same shop. the results are generally stunning - and for pennies!

meanwhile

2008-11-16T04:34:00.019-05:00

meanwhile, back at the fort, our next mission assignment from headquarters was to makeover the basement classroom at the fort mckinley church. this was new territory for me – i generally hate basements but embraced the opportunity to stretch my design muscles and see what might transpire. i researched basement makeovers online and identified a color scheme that felt fresh and fun. several friends helped me prep the room this past week and today 10 gingha-servants (who i also count as friends) worked hard to make this underground vision a reality.

first order of business was to transport the world’s largest and heaviest table (400+ lbs.) out of the basement and up to the fellowship hall where it could be repurposed as a serving table for the wildly successful “breakfast @ the fort” currently served-up every sunday morning (250 guests at last count.) soooo… on the coldest, wettest day of the season so far 8 guys (and i) carried the table down the hall, up the steps, out the back door, around the building, up the ramp, in one of the front doors, down the lobby and steps, up steps and around the corner into the f.h.. amazing – but it’s done.

back to the basement, we had three kinds of wall treatments to create which kept things interesting. i’ll blog about those in the next few days – after i get some rest. it’s a good kind of tired, you know? there’s nothing quite like the feeling of working hard for 7 hours with truly great people – only because we all believe that soon hearts will be turned towards jesus in this classroom. even if it is in a basement.

changing the world…

2008-10-30T06:07:00.009-04:00

a week ago 1000 world-changers gathered on the ginghamsburg campus to be challenged, changed and move out to make a difference. were you part of the conference as a guest or a servant? what was your most memorable God-moment?

a few of my favorite things

2008-10-24T09:36:00.015-04:00

some seasons are so full of doing that it’s difficult to make the time to write about it. we’ve definitely been living in one of those seasons and wanted to post some of the work…

the elevator in our student activity center required a wall treatment that was 1) ding-proof and 2) nearly no-cost. i tried using landscape burlap as wallpaper- applied with a thick wallpaper adhesive. rejecting a linear approach, i tried my hand at “sculpting” the moistened burlap, leaving an opening for a stenciled design. it was a fun project and interesting to look at – and the risk factor is reduced inside the otherwise boring space of an elevator. what did i have to lose?

my office makeover continues – some interesting finds, some ikea pieces, and now a wall design. a $5 gallon of mistint provided the base color for the faded soft-white wallpaper stenciling application.

recently we confiscated a large amount of wood railing from a tipp city bank re-model project (our cost- $0). i have always wanted to flank the screen in the discipleship center with some kind of material that would ground and eliminate that “floating feeling” of the screen. artist-builder chad oler grasped this vision and totally delivered~! now we have a more professional looking stage for the price of the backing fabric ($25.)

our change the world conference begins tomorrow morning and we spent yesterday setting up our expanded bookstore (out into the worship area) to accommodate 1000 registered guests. it was stressful but fun pulling out tons of pieces from home and church storage. we used three elements throughout the set-up design: black fainted furniture, landscape burlap and old wooden crates. throw in a few lamps, rugs and votive candles and wha-la! a winning combination.

last but definitely not least is the massive painting project going on in the fort mckinley worship area. our makeover team has really pulled through and the color seems just right. it’s hard to catch the renewed beauty of this worship space using pictures alone – more next week after the carpet’s installed.

post your own favorite things. we’d love to see them!

God bless,
kim

makeover @ the fort continues…

2008-10-06T13:25:00.001-04:00

the worship area at our newly-acquired fort mckinley campus is lovely as far as traditional worship settings go, but for the purpose of reaching out to new audiences with an updated approach, a makeover is required. our goal: to give the fort’s worship area an updated, fresh and inviting atmosphere while retaining the existing stained-glass, sacramental setting. a tasteful combination of ancient-future.

first order of business was a brand new, expanded stage. the existing lectern and pulpit were removed, along with the half-walls that segregated the platform from the floor. a large stage extension was designed, a step down from the existing platform. seven skilled carpenters and 10 hours later we had transformation!

next week’s project: mammoth paint job

meanwhile, back in the pastor’s office, the lace curtains and feminine furniture had to go. we replaced what we could afford to, leaning heavily on our new ikea just down i-75 and what we couldn’t afford to replace we tried to replicate using our trusty mud-n-spit methods. the finishing touches will come later this week (after i figure out how to acquire them for low low dolla!) mama always said “there’s always a way…actual money is way overrated" ☺

what drives your design machine?

2008-09-25T06:04:00.008-04:00

i’ve been in atlanta for the last week, soaking up the sunny rays of our brand new grandson, linkin urijah miller. we are lovin’ linkin, and hubby clark and i are getting back in touch with the wonderful world of babies.

being away from home, taking long walks in the peaceful, wooded suburbs of atlanta, and time to read – with a trip to anthropologie thrown in. oh wait, don’t forget a ton of late night shows on hgtv… (we don’t get cable at home and i can’t seem to get enough of it here) and conversations with our kids about their latest interests and challenges.

these are a few of my favorite things. i am renewed as i talk with God about us – reading “walking with god” by john elderedge + utmost for his highest with oswald c. inside my head i find myself designing the next ginghamsburg campus space, picturing how our next event could look, reorganizing a room in my home, reimagining our autumn porch in tipp city. i can’t help what my brain does in the off hours but i can feed it and keep it well-nourished for the next season.

what drives your design machine? time away? time with god? time in the out-of-doors? i’d love to know how you “feed your soul” and make time to listen for God’s next creative endeavor. comments invited.

festival fun

2008-09-16T14:27:00.016-04:00

ginghamsburg community festival has been a yearly outreach into our surrounding areas for the last 10 years or so. the idea is to create an incredibly fun event for children, students and adults that is almost free – except for the food. It’s a gift to our communities and a wide open doorway to come and see what ginghamsburg’s really about.

part of the festival is the ministry fair that features many of our user-friendly, life-growing areas of discipleship and worship. its great to be part of a church that presents so many points of entry… everything from motorcycles to media to mission adventures.

the highlight of my day was close to the end -when the hurricane aftermath winds were threatening to take everything in one fell swoop- a young mom visiting with two children in tow found me at the hospitality tent and asked if ginghamsburg would baptize or dedicate her children. it seems another church had recently told her that her children were too young to be considered. “either one, whichever your choose,” i replied, and told her about the classes and options we offer for families with children who wish to take this faith commitment.

people have all kinds of needs and this mom just needed to know her kids were going to be taken care of both now and for eternity. it made me smile to think how much fun those cute little boys were going to have at ginghamsburg. i just knew that little family was going to really like the place – and that’s the reason for the festival.

makeover @ the FORT

2008-09-06T17:34:00.031-04:00

most of my working hours for the last three weeks have been spent at fort mckinley, ginghamsburg’s latest mission initiative. during the summer we acquired the responsibility for a smaller UMC inside the city of dayton. lovingly referred to as the fort, this church and its people have already captured our hearts. the makeover team has worked two full days redeeming community spaces God is already using in a huge way.

our first project was a room formerly known as the parlor. we saw the potential in this space from the get-go, and it now boasts IKEA-esque seating areas, three bistro table sets, and a coffee area with free java available all week long.

this cozy room is just the beginning – much more to come in future blogs. I wanted to share what’s been going on. God is good and people are passionate for this mission. let me know if you want to join this project team. ~ kmiller@ginghamsburg.org

commonplace inspiration

2008-08-21T14:34:00.002-04:00

reading oswald chambers’, “My Utmost for His Highest” today, this closing phrase struck a chord in me: We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.

the previous paragraphs describe the context in which our lives will influence others toward God. it isn’t in the conscious world that we are most influential; rather, it is out of our unconscious selves as we yield to jesus that rivers of inspiration will flow.

since our accident two weeks ago, we’ve received so many words of encouragement from friends and family that we are flat-out humbled. people have taken this opportunity to be completely honest and tell us what they really think about us. i’m not happy that the accident occurred, but being the recipient of this sort of feedback is definitely a fierce and wonderful thing. to hear what God has been doing through our lives in times when we were completely unaware - when we’ve felt like failures, when our walk couldn’t match our talk, when we didn’t know which end was up- well, it solidly confirms that it’s not about us after all. …it is God who works in you both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure.

commonplace lives inspiring others. it’s so simple it’s crazy. day by day living yielded to Jesus.

regarding: THE SHACK

2008-08-14T08:51:00.007-04:00

have you ever read a book that changed everything about how you viewed life, God and the people around you? i just finished reading THE SHACK and frankly, i don’t care if the story is fact or fiction – it lines up with all the great teaching, human hunches, spiritual longings and scriptural truths i’ve ever encountered. and anything that helps humans actually FEEL the love of God is a good thing.

most people i know really want to know God in a personal way. they would love to FEEL loved by God – however for any number of reasons – painful childhood experiences, unexplained crisis, a broken trust or the sad song of failure – God’s love seems out of reach. God so loved the world - we acknowledge - but not necessarily me. if you have ever felt like this, snag your own copy of THE SHACK, hole up in your most comfortable sabbath location and settle in on the best read of your life.

if you’ve read THE SHACK already, post a comment on your own thoughts and experience.

the accident

2008-08-10T15:43:00.005-04:00

for details on our michigan mishap go to http://benjanderica.blogspot.com

life takes a turn

2008-08-10T10:43:00.002-04:00

mid-way through our michigan vacation, my husband clark and i were involved in a serious accident, a run-in with a large bus. i was alert at the scene but clark was unresponsive and subsequently intubated and care-flighted to a large, progressive hospital in grand rapids.

later that evening we learned that while clark sustained multiple facial fractures, there were no brain or spinal cord injuries. words cannot express the incredible relief i felt. yesterday (saturday) clark underwent reconstructive facial surgery and can now boast 3 titanium plates and 16 screws in the left side of his face. our grown children have come around us in amazing ways and will help us return to ohio as soon as we're travel-worthy.

the outpouring of prayers, emails, calls and visits from friends and family has been completely overwhelming and we will draw strength from this incredible support for years to come. our traveling companions, carl and darcy krumroy have gone above and beyond any ordinary friendship.

today i possess a gift that some of you have personally experienced as well... the palpable awareness of our fragile mortality and the subsequent gift of life that we receive only one day at a time.

more to come in a day or two - God is good.

michigan excursion

2008-08-06T05:53:00.008-04:00

currently touring michigan on the back of a honda valkerie. if you enjoy motorcycles and want to comment about it, now’s your chance! more REDESIGNING next week.

anatomy of a midwest baptism

2008-07-28T06:43:00.014-04:00

each year ginghamsburg holds a huge outdoor picnic and baptism on the lawn. classes are held ahead of time and children, women and men are invited to seal their deal with God in the presence of family and friends. today’s baptism was amazing… but not without challenge - take a photo journey through the anatomy of a midwest baptism...

how to have a weekend baptism in a place formerly known as a cornfield?

thursday: blow-up a swimming pool wha-la!

friday: the lawn guy ON MISSION

Chad A.K.A. "visionary designer"

4:30 pm saturday - a pop-up storm wipes out the big top, tables, chairs, counters, glass centerpieces and electrical cords- one mangled memory of what was…

8:30 p.m. - rebuilding begins with a NEW tent… (no photo)

sunday morning – resurrection

class up that pool!

the tables are set...

got towels?

blues brothers baptizers

87 jesus-followers take the plunge of faith

telling their stories

a God moment

powerful steps of faith

prayer huddle

“our poppy dunks people”

Baptism and Picnic On the Lawn always reminds us of who we are and Whose we are. It's emotional and spiritual -and the food was great! Good CLEAN fun.

worship redefined

2008-07-19T09:02:00.009-04:00

today under our new patio sun shades I had a conversation with mike s. about his upcoming message from mark’s gospel- loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. i really like the thought that there are different ways we all express our love for God… which leads me to this great group of people i know who seriously show their love to God in tangible ways…

tonight’s makeover was mostly inside the coffee shop. we found a couple of free booths in downtown dayton at a restaurant supply place that fit in this nook perfectly. while the guys installed the booths the women painted furniture and gave opinions for free.

i’m fairly jazzed at the results, especially when i remember the price tag for the booth project- less than $25.

everyone worked until nearly 11 p.m. despite day jobs in the morning. these servants were cheerful as they actively expressed their love to God in the best way they knew on a hot thursday evening in july. i’d call that worship- redefined.

the new booths are fierce! this will be new space where students and adults can connect in conversation… and God will be in that place.

the patio project

2008-07-11T16:48:00.006-04:00

for the last two evenings our ginghamsburg makeover team has joined together for work nights at the avenue, our student activity center. outside the coffee shop is a large paved patio, potentially one of the most beautiful “green spaces” on our entire campus. the only problem is that out here in the cornfields there is no protection from the sun, wind and rain. in order to maximize the use of the patio for cell groups, friendship coffee times and small classes we needed something overhead to shield from the bright sun and occasional light rain.

we found “sun shades” in a catalog (google that phrase if you’re interested) and ordered ourselves 4- 16’ triangular shades and set out to install them, staggered in such a way as to create an interesting design. if this sounds easy, please hear me, it was not. the patio project took 50’ of chain, 12 hours of sweat, 8 bags of cement, 6 really deep post-holes, 5 trips to menard’s, and many patient, problem-solving servants…with a few laughs thrown here and there.

i’m always tempting to get discouraged in the midst of a difficult project and yet, earlier this week oswald chambers reminded me that… "if we are going to live as disciples of jesus, we have to remember that all noble things are difficult. the christian life is gloriously difficult, but the difficulty of it does not make us faint and cave in, it rouses us up to overcome."

there is no such thing as secular work and sacred work. we must view all work as sacred, missional, and connecting back to the purpose to which God has called us. so we persevere, and encourage one another forward.

today the breeze is blowing and the sun is hot but it’s nice there in the shade on the patio of the Avenue. our hope is that we’ve earned yet another space for connection and community on the ginghamsburg campus. next mission goal: coffee shop makeover. stay tuned…

can you take me higher…

2008-07-03T16:10:00.005-04:00

last evening at 11:52 p.m. servants from our ginghamsburg makeover team completed a laborious albeit non-glamorous project in the coffee show “tower” of the AVENUE, our student activity building. when constructed nearly ten years ago, the tower hadn’t been intended for classroom or coffee shop space. it was going to be a video room for students to hang out and play games.

because we are maxing out all of our campus spaces, we now use this coffee shop area as a classroom and meeting space nearly every day of the week. nine huge, high windows were creating a bake-oven effect and the sunlight was unbearable for daytime meetings.

we did a little search and found window-darkening tint online, purchased a gigantic roll, and spent the last two evenings trying to become experts at cutting, aligning and applying it to the windows 30’ up. the guys needed to use the lift because, well, they’re guys. it was the right thing to do, however, and after much sweat and consternation the room is now much more usable space.

i feel called to the stewardship of space – to maximize the use of all our facilities. it’s a weird calling, however, and I don’t meet many people who feel as passionately as I do about spaces and design. one new kindred spirit is Rachel Cain, seen here in a photo from last night. she came to our work night, she stenciled, she left. its awesome to have another servant on the team!

prayer rooms and possibilities...

2008-06-30T13:50:00.011-04:00

last friday i was part of a group of presenters for a united theological seminary intensive week with mike slaughter. i was the last one to speak and my topic was “creating welcoming spaces” it felt really good to be sharing thoughts and photos with leaders who are serious about mission. i met a kindred blogger and designer, jenny smith. you can visit her site @ http://www.journey4610.blogspot.com/ to see photos and learnings from the intensive - great stuff!!!

i shared about one of the spaces we've redesigned this spring, our prayer rooms at ginghamsburg. initially, i had toured u.t.s. and was inspired by their prayer room, seen above with the floor pillows. students had asked for a place for prayer and reflection and were given a closet and $500 to create this customized space.

ginghamsburg, on the other hand, had two designated prayer rooms and no "real" money to make significant changes...so I went to work gathering up rugs, bamboo sticks and street lamps (with flickering bulbs that stay on all the time), mostly pieces we had in our stash.

i'm not done yet but these rooms are taking shape. i want to add a shelf for oil, a prayer box, and communion elements on occasion. I envision a place that draws seekers in – a tranquil space that invites conversation and prayer.

is a designated prayer space important to your community? do you have a space like this on your church campus? what are the challenges making that space inviting?

oh and...i think we’ll be getting a design intern out of this class! her name is rachel and it turns out she designed that uts prayer room. she loves this stuff too...yay~! .

wildest life dreams

2008-06-25T10:59:00.003-04:00

OK, here we go. The first three months of this year I took a sabbatical. Twelve years of weekly worship design had left me in need of a break – not because I felt a lack of ideas or creative energy, but because the farmers are right - all fields periodically need a “rest” from production. Fruitfulness can only grow out of soil replenished through non-use. As a daughter of God created in the image of God, I needed to experience the law of the Sabbath and step away from everything familiar – dreaming, developing and deploying nine weekly worship celebrations – and spend time doing a few of my favorite “re-creating” things – more on that in a future blog.

Three months is enough time to go pretty deep with God. For years I’d challenged other leaders to identify and live out their “wildest life dream.” I’d discovered mine years ago in worship design but now realized I could be turning the page into Chapter Two of that dream. Always fascinated and engaged into the artistic process of space design, I wondered if this might be my new focus. I felt that Ginghamsburg’s current mantra to “minimize brick and maximize mission” deserved a third component – mesmerize the masses with the creative use of our space and resources. I’m just crazy enough to believe that what Ty Pennington’s team can do for homes across America might be a model for what certain Creatives could strive to do in the sacred spaces of our faith communities.

What do you think? How is worship design going for you and your team? And are your campus spaces inviting people into connection and community?

Whether you’re a new friend, a former conference connection, a pastor, worship planner or simply an artist with something to say, blog on. I’ve love to hear from you.