Seeing the Church Building for the 1st Time
We Can Make our Church Facility More Inviting
A Petoskey stone in Michigan. Photo by Brett Schaberg. Used by permission.
Your Church Can Be a Find!
When walking the beaches of Michigan, many people keep an eagle eye out for the jewel of Michigan - the Petoskey stone. Petoskey stones are beautiful and interesting with something to see on each side.
Is your church building a jewel on its street? Is the landscaping attractive? Is the entryway inviting? Would a newcomer find welcome and helpful information for their visit?
Do You Go to Dismal Doctor's Offices?
In high school, my doctor sent me to see a specialist. We came to an ugly office building with dead overgrown bushes on the outside. The front door stuck. We descended the stairs to the lower level where the overhead lighting was failing to do the job. My mom mentioned turning around.
If my mom had not trusted the doctor who sent us this specialist, we would never have made it to the waiting room.
Our Building’s Upkeep Matters
When people come to church they come seeking a safe, spiritual place. They may seek the cathedral setting or the modern church’s half-moon configurations.1 In both cases, the church must be clean, cared for, well-lighted, and modernized in the kitchens and bathrooms.
The View From the Street
While doing college ministry at Big Church, Ann Arbor, I met students who walked Fraternity Row a lot and still had no idea that was a church under all the beautiful trees. The church’s sign was old, stone, and low to the ground. In the fall and winter, it disappeared beneath the leaves and snow.
The church itself was a magnificent, stone cathedral. People who had been raised in church culture might have been excited to visit to see the architectural details. People not raised in the church found the building intimidating - scary.
Which Door Do I Use?
More than once, I have been befuddled trying to figure out which door will be unlocked when I come to guest preach. Visitors don’t want to work this hard. Big Church had a clear sign at the driveway entrance that this was where to enter and that the main entrance was right this way.
The entrance was well-marked, it had flowers and well-tended bushes. At night the entrance was bright. The entryway between the outside and inside doors was clean with two neat buckets:
A bucket to leave and retrieve your wet umbrella.
A bucket with Lost umbrellas to be used in a pinch (please return next week).
Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay. Used by permission.
Open Doors
If your church has multiple entrances make sure they are all unlocked on Sunday morning. If safety is a concern you can put a greeter at each entrance. Having people walk around your building to the one open door will be a deterrent for some of us.
Some churches use an electronic system that allows one person to monitor all the doors and unlock them as people approach while verbally welcoming them over the camera intercom system. 2
Parking
Parking lots should have empty spots near the front for visitors and families with small children, plus handicapped parking. You might paint arrows to keep vehicles flowing in the same direction.
Put in clear signs directing people to the church’s entrances on each side of the building.
First Views
Upon entering a church for the first time some information that can be helpful is clear signs towards the sanctuary, nursery, and restrooms. If the church prefers children in worship with their parents the sign might say “Sanctuary (Children Friendly)” or “Worship Space (All Ages Prefered).
It is also awesome if you have a distinct sign at each entrance where you can post the day’s events printed in 16 or 18 font on the sheet. One church has a sign framework that says “Today” with a spot for the printed page and “Tomorrow” with a similar space.
Restrooms
A clean restroom is essential.
This includes keeping the room newly painted every 3-4 years. Make sure any decorations are clean and fresh-looking. When updating restrooms confirm with an architect what goes into the best handicapped and modern restroom.3
In Conclusion
The danger for us is when we stop seeing our church facility with the eyes of a visitor. Some use is not a problem, but when things look tired from overuse or simply age, it can lessen the experience.
Instead have a team of people to work together to maintain a fresh, inviting church facility.4
Half-moon designs were a hallmark of the 1970s new church constructions.
The Ring system is a low-cost way to add this to your church.
Many churches have broken hand towel dispensers. Fix or replace these. A broken dispenser sends the message that small things are not important to your church.
This is true not just for the building itself. It is important to have a team working to keep your church family fresh, and inviting as well.