Bridging Two Worlds

Today I get to do something that genuinely does bridge my two worlds: I’m going to meet with a pastor to analyze their facility from a Guest-Services and Space-Use perspective . . . something I really do enjoy doing. If I could make a business out of doing this, I probably would. Honestly, it would do a lot of churches a lot of good. In fact, other businesses could use some of this, as well.

• When it’s “your house,” you often don’t notice the wear-and-tear of everyday life. Having fresh eyes come in and be honest can help you see the dirt and grime and what needs to be updated. Do your paint colors and carpet still scream 1985? Are they actually that old?
• Most church-going people forget what it is like to walk into the building for the first time. Where’s the bathroom? Where do I take my kids? Where’s the front door? Churches can do a lot of little things to make the answer to these questions much easier.
• As an architect, I have discovered that a LOT of churches just do NOT use the space they have very well. I have told churches NOT to build, but have given them advise on how to adjust their ministries to use the space they have better. When they are ready to build, they’ll be much healthier to go through the process.
• Finally, does your facility communicate who you really are as a church? A lot of church buildings are near carbon-copies of every other church building out there. If your church is a carbon copy of other churches, OK. If it’s not, what can you do to have your facility communicate a bit of who you are as a church?