General Information:
1. Preparing a church for the future with our master planning process
The Adams Group develops and directs the master planning process customized to each individual client through active involvement with the congregation and church leadership. This innovative process involves in-depth evaluations of the ministries and resources within the church and the surrounding community. This detailed assessment enables the Adams Group, as well as church leaders, to determine immediate needs and to plan for future growth. The process results in a master plan that reflects the specific needs of the church ministries.

2. Formation of a successful building committee
The Adams Group's process for a successful project begins by establishing ministry committees that will function effectively in 'brainstorming' activities. Successful committees are also representative of the church membership. Normally, a committee of ten is an effective size for developing a Mission Statement and defining the parameters of the project.

3. Tailoring a facility to the specific ministries of a church
The Adams Group uses an innovative approach called 'Participative Design', which involves ministry coordinators, staff resource personnel and members of the congregation to define the specific ministry requirements. Utilizing input from the staff and congregation in interactive sessions, the collective Design Team defines the future vision of the church.

4. Beginning the 'Participative Design'
The Adams Group has found that a key to successful projects is early planning. Through interactive sessions with the Design Team, a general consensus of important spaces on the church campus is reached. Consensus is also reached regarding the qualities within those spaces, which are desirable, as well as those spaces that are undesirable.

5. Programmatic Issues
The Adams Group knows that each ministry of a church has certain utilitarian and aesthetic facility requirements that are unique. These 'Programmatic Issues' are identified and prioritized by the Adams Group in participatory workshops to produce facilities, which fit the client's vision and spatial requirements.

6. Participatory Workshops
The Adams Group utilizes small groups in a 'team' atmosphere, where each team is asked to address land use issues in light of the established ministry objectives. Each team then presents their plan to the entire group, concluding in a review and discussion of each groupÕs requirements, ideas and issues. This facilitates many new ideas for relating ministry needs and resolving planning conflicts on the church site.

7. Detailed Site Analysis
The Adams Group knows that early planning is vital to the master plan process. A key step is the collection and review of information about the neighborhood context and site condition. The Adams Group collects and analyzes transportation development, community development and site development to determine the siteÕs current and future improvements.

8. Master Plan Development
The Adams Group incorporates key ideas from the workshops and site analysis to develop alternative master schemes. The design team, along with building committee members, assesses and reviews the alternative schemes and a master plan is chosen. The final master plan is then reviewed and endorsed by the Ministry Teams, Building Committee and the Congregation through a number of follow up meetings.

9. Visualizing the Project
In addition to drawings, the Adams Group uses computer imaging, which allows a building committee to visualize a project, long before construction begins. This system has been instrumental in securing congregational support and in fundraising efforts on past projects.

10. Fund Raising
The Adams Group offers guidance and direction concerning your fund raising efforts. In addition, we offer a service developing graphic materials, brochures, banners and flyers to assist with the communications effort. These materials have proven to be a valuable tool in generating enthusiasm and support of the project.