KevinChilds.com

I experienced my first charette this week.  And unless you were with me for it, I’d bet the farm you don’t know what that word means.  Wikipedify it if you must.  It is a team of professional architectural designers doing the equivalent of cramming for an exam for the benefit of somebody else’s dream.  In four days time, a team from Visioneering Studios flew into town, worshiped with us, researched our unique Conway cultural anthropology, listened to our dreams and core values, and mixed all of that together to help us plan for our future.

And that ain’t all. They made the mix appear in 2-D and 3-D form as our future ultimate church campus.   The best way to describe the reaction from our “Dream Team” of church leaders?  Hmmm.  How ’bout this:  We drooled.  A lot.  It combines the vision and character of The ROCK with the best of Conway’s historic culture.

Apart from a financial mega-miracle, we’ll have to move in phases, and that’s very OK.  We probably couldn’t handle the whole enchilada right now if somebody stepped up and paid for the whole thing.  But I think the unveiling of this magnificent tool will make hearts and minds and pockets fly open, and that will be cool to watch.

For now, try to picture: natural features galore, spiritual metaphors, ancient fused with current fused with future, prayer trail, grass amphitheater gathering area, coffee cafe, House of Blues-esque Youth Building, Pavillion-esque KidZone, skate park area, business incubation, portal to the neighborhood, and … oh yeah … a kick-butt 1000+ seat worship center.  And I intentionally left out a few cool-but-subtle features.

I’m convinced that this thing can be a tool in God’s hand to change Conway.  I know that sounds audacious, but so be it.  If I had the millions to make it happen, I’d give every penny and live in my car.  The dream campus we saw tonight would stand as an open invitation to the whole community.

I can’t wait.