Decision Tree: What is your top priority?

Intentional Design: Church Spaces Raised Right

Understanding intent and prioritizing the resources that achieve it is (crazy enough) a lot like parenting. For example, a parent's ultimate priority is their child. Even those without kids can understand this. Parents shape their decisions and actions around the support, love, care, and life lessons that guide their children toward a successful future. Yet, sometimes achieving all of these things comes at a cost. An example specific to this analogy would be deciding to share a sweet treat with your child before bed on Saturday night because it’s special and creates joy, even though it will inevitably delay bedtime and most likely make for a cranky Sunday morning.

The same thinking (with the intention of avoiding those cranky Sunday mornings) applies to churches and their audio, video, lighting, and acoustics (AVLA) systems.

As a Pastor or Church Leader, your top priority is to the Word. Living by it. Delivering it. And sharing it. How you achieve these things will vary greatly based on your congregation’s needs and the space you occupy.

For instance, to ensure the Word resonates, you might invest in superior audio systems. If you aim to reach more people, you expand your seating, which then necessitates enhanced lighting and visuals to maintain engagement across a larger venue. And as spaces grow, acoustics become crucial to prevent the message from getting lost. Conversely, a smaller church might prioritize broadcast capabilities to cater to members who cannot attend in person, and this could affect the in-church experience with the installation of cameras and other equipment. A larger church may prioritize the same—but instead of facing the disruption of the in-person experience as their obstacle, their “cost” is the need for additional equipment and talent to take large space audio and translate it to something suitable for a smaller space.

The key to all of this lies in understanding which is most important to YOUR congregation at this moment—and then allocating your resources to achieve that vision.

How do you do that? Make a decision tree.

Think of this like a custom set of questions you’ll ask of everyone involved in the planning process. For every question asked, assign a level of importance that aligns with the goals and vision of your organization. The goal of a decision tree is to find out which factors supersede all others. Then, what’s number two? And so on, and so on.

Start by defining the connection you aim to establish with your attendees and consider how you want them to participate and respond within the space. This aspect is critical—especially when it comes to decisions that significantly impact both function and form. For instance, many churches opt for center doors and a central aisle without fully considering the frequency and type of use these features will see. Often, such architectural choices serve only a few specific events, none of which align with their top priorities. The implications are significant, particularly when it comes to technology integration. If live streaming is a priority, central camera placement is crucial for a visually appealing online experience. If the audio setup is not aligned with this layout, it could detract from the quality of the service for both online viewers and in-person attendees.

OUR top priority is to craft an experience that resonates deeply with your community.

We understand that every element—from audio and visuals to broadcasting and acoustics—plays a crucial role in engaging and activating the spirit of your congregation. By utilizing strategic decision-making tools such as the decision tree, you can ensure that each aspect of your church’s design and technology serves these overarching goals effectively. This approach guarantees that whether your members are joining you in person or online, they receive a cohesive and spiritually enriching experience that truly reflects the heart and mission of your church.