Making Space: Recent Episodes
Mary Bellus
On the last episode of this season of Making Space, Jay Kim talks with the Director of the Center for Liturgical Art, Michael Scheer. They discuss the importance of creating connections between churches and artists, the need for art to be authentic and reflective of the beauty of God and the impact of art on the lives of Christians. Michael also highlights the role of art in education and its ability to bridge divides and foster spiritual formation. He encourages church leaders to engage with art and to not be afraid of the challenges and conversations that come with it.
Learn more at: Barna.com/MakingSpace
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On this episode of Making Space, Sara Joy Proppe joins architect and curator of, “The Architecture of Prayer,” Amanda Iglesia. They discuss the intersection of theology, architecture, and worship. Amanda highlights the importance of collaboration between architects and church communities, and how the design of sacred spaces can lead individuals into prayer.
Amanda’s Exhibit: https://www.iglesias-project.com/
Learn more at: Barna.com/MakingSpace
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On this episode of Making Space, Jay Kim talks with Founder and pastor of Hope Church, Co-Founder of New City Network, and an Emotionally Healthy Discipleship team member, Drew Hyun. Drew shares about the different approach they’ve taken to growth based on the limits of their space, the broader vision their church holds for reaching their city and the missional posture they’ve taken to care for their neighbors.
Learn more at: Barna.com/MakingSpace
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On this episode of Making Space, Sara Joy Proppe sits down with Executive Pastor and Director of the Oasis Project at Bible Center Church, Cynthia Wallace. They talk about utilizing ordinary spaces for worship and community, analyzing the assets and giftings of your congregation and practical ways to partner with other institutions to better serve your community.
Learn more at: Barna.com/MakingSpace
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On this episode of Making Space, Sara Joy Proppe talks with the Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, Prolific Author and Anglican Priest, Dr. David Taylor. Together, they discuss how art and beauty can transform church spaces, explore the diverse ways we engage as embodied worshipers and highlight opportunities to unlock the creative potential within your church community.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On this episode of Making Space, Benjamin Windle talks with Associate Dean of College of Architecture at California Baptist University, Reverend Dr. Matthew Niermann. They talk about how beauty can be a missions category and how churches can re-enchant their spaces.
Learn more at: Barna.com/MakingSpace
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On this episode of Making Space, Jay Kim talks with Associate Pastor of Reality SF, Jessica Gracewski. They touch on how Reality Church has navigated the transience of San Francisco, the challenges of spiritual formation, and planting spiritual roots.
Learn more at: Barna.com/MakingSpace
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On the first episode of Making Space Season 3, Benjamin Windle sits down with CEO of Barna Group, David Kinnaman. They talk about their personal connection with church buildings, the important role design plays in fostering spiritual connections and creating an atmosphere for transcendence and prayer.
Learn more at: Barna.com/MakingSpace
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Benjamin Windle and Jay Kim look back on some of their highlights from the guest interviews in Season 2 and share how they have thought about church spaces in their own ministry contexts.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Kristel Acevedo talks with Benjamin Windle and Jay Kim about building multigenerational and multiethnic small groups, using social media as a discipleship tool and what Gen Z is looking for from formation within the Church.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Al Gordon joins Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle to share the story of their church renovation in East London, including how they’ve used their church space as a “cathedral of creativity” and some of the tangible ways they have served the needs of the community they’re planted in.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Dr. Eric Mason sits down with Benjamin Windle to talk about trends he’s seeing with churches in Philadelphia after the pandemic, the shifting role of historic church buildings in urban contexts and practical ways their church has shown up for the needs of their community.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Bette Dickinson joins Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle to discuss the connection between worship and the visual arts, understanding the role of liturgy in church services (even in non-liturgical settings), and the underlying desires people have when entering into a church space.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Dave Lomas talks with Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle about the connection between formation and physical spaces, what he’s seeing with historic church architecture, and how their church aims to address the needs of their local community.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Tara Beth Leach sits down with Benjamin Windle and Jay Kim to talk about her own journey with grief, practical ideas for churches to offer solace to those experiencing hardship, and specific ways that architecture can shape our sense of safety in a place.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Mark Sayers joins Benjamin Windle and Jay Kim to talk about the formative power of “second spaces” in church buildings, the pandemic’s shifting impact on the local and universal church and what he’s seeing with discipleship in today's churches.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
In the second season of the Making Space podcast, hosts Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle will talk with a diverse group of guests about how spiritual formation relates to our church facilities and the built environment. They’ll also touch on how physical spaces shape our sense of communal belonging to God and one another.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle talk with Liz Laird, co-founder of the Sacred Spaces Conservancy, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit organization that finds collaborative solutions to preserve vital sacred spaces in neighborhood life. Liz shares how historic church architecture can inspire the modern church to lean into creative ways to communicate beauty, transcendence, and holiness.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
In this episode of the Making Space Podcast, Daniel Yang, Director of Church Multiplication Institute at Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, discusses how the pandemic affected church plants and the trends coming out of it. He also shares how we can reimagine the power of meaningful church gatherings in unique spaces.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
This week, Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle talk with Jonathan Shaffer, a virtual reality designer who brings brands to life both physically and digitally. Jonathan shares how the design of retail space can inspire innovative church environments and he gives examples for how churches can step outside of the mundane to create unique physical church experiences.
Learn more at: https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
In this episode of the Making Space Podcast, hosts Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle talk with author and Assistant Professor of Bible Theology and World Christianity at Bushnell University, Dr. A.J. Swoboda, and Sara Joy Proppe, a Placemaking Consultant and founder of Proximity Project. They discuss how the transcendence of nature and creation translates to the design of our church spaces and how we can incorporate the outdoor world as part of the physical church experience.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Darryl Answer, founding and lead pastor of New Community Church in Kansas City, MO, talks with hosts Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle about innovative ways his congregation has approached physical church and caring for the community.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Daniel Grothe, Associate Senior Pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and author of The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age, talks with hosts Jay Kim and Benjamin Windle about how the sense of connectedness to a place forms and shapes us, and can impact our spiritual formation.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
On this episode of the Making Space Podcast, hosts Benjamin Windle and Jay Kim will talk with priest and award-winning author, Tish Harrison Warren, about the threads of connection between spiritual formation and the built environment.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Ashley Ekmay, from Barna, and Elena Forsythe, from Aspen Group, share insights on how their teams collaborated on the first volume of the Making Space research project, Making Space for Inspiration, which dives into the way church and other spaces form and shape us as we experience Jesus and engage with others in community. They'll discuss the concepts of transcendence, comfort, how we bring our emotions into a space, and what it means for a space to be personal. They’ll share the insights they gleaned about how space affects us physically, emotionally, and how it influences our spiritual lives.
Learn more at https://www.aspengroup.com/makingspacepodcast
Welcome to the Making Space podcast! This podcast comes out of a decade’s long partnership between the Aspen Group and Barna. In this project, we're focusing on the impact that physical spaces have on the way people are formed and shaped as they experience Jesus, engage with the church and interact with others in community. Co-hosted by Benjamin Windle and Jay Kim.