As we continue our series on trends in church design, one macro trend we can’t ignore is the influence of technology. It wasn’t too long ago that technology was added as a kind of afterthought in church design.
Today, however, it is critically important to consider carefully the various types of technology you may want to integrate into the church building itself. For one, doing so allows you to seamlessly connect with younger guests who expect technology to be part of every aspect of their lives—including worship.
Wiring Technology into Your Church Design
These days technology is integrated into church buildings from the ground up. This means considering, from the very beginning, what kinds of technology you want in your church design.
For example: What types of video and lighting should be installed in each space? We can wire every classroom, as well as your worship and gathering spaces. Also: How many screens do you need? Where do you want them?
The questions go far beyond worship: Do you want digital signage set-up throughout your church complex? Do you need interactive maps at entrances? How about ATM or debit machines—for café sales, giving kiosks, or other uses?
And there are the more obvious concerns: Will you have Wi-Fi available in every church building on campus? Just in your worship and gathering spaces? These have become basic considerations now.
Further questions arise when you think about how you will manage all this technology. Do you need a dedicated space for video control, online streaming and recording control, and video editing? How about audio and video recording studios and dedicated equipment rooms?
Reaching Beyond One Church Building
Another consideration with technology is its support of shared experiences. You can now have multi-campus, real-time broadcasting among different venues. This allows your pastor to preach to half a dozen different spaces at once.
With the right technology integrated into your church design, you can even allow worshippers to see other locations and share various types of worship experiences. After worship is over, you can use recordings for online worship and rebroadcasting to virtual worship venues.
Adding Apps for Maximum Engagement and Efficiency
Apps are another way technology is enriching today’s worship experience. Now you can deliver real-time service notes and ask for feedback, even inviting people to submit questions during the sermon. They might ask for clarification on a point raised or respond to a pastor’s query, which he or she can then stop and address. It allows the sermon to become more engaging, like a conversation.
Another way apps integrate with church design is in management of the building systems themselves. Modern energy management systems can control the HVAC for entire buildings from an app on your phone or an internet website. This allows you or your staff to check in with your church building from home or wherever you might be traveling—for instance, when a sudden winter storm blows through and you want to make sure your furnace is still functioning fine.
Make Technology Work for You
There’s no question that technology is transforming the modern church building. To learn what else is influencing today’s church building designs, sign up for our free i3 webinars. You’ll gain ideas, insights, and innovations to help you embrace these church design trends and use them to best share your vision. Simply visit our home page to register for upcoming webinars.