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Hospitality:
Do Our Church Buildings Say What We Think They Do?Eliza Linley
"The Episcopal Church Welcomes You". We say it. We mean it. Substitute the name of any denomination - it is the goal of every church community. We train our ushers and greeters to welcome the newcomer. Our lay leaders and clergy do their best to make church an experience that people will want to return to. Episcopalians in particular have moved beyond the era when, as the old joke went, evangelism meant unlocking the door on Sunday mornings. But how often does force of habit make us blind to our worship environment - clueless about design flaws and neglect that give the opposite message? We may do our best to keep the building painted and the lawn cut, but accretion and the passage of time can creep up on the blind side of any church warden or property committee. For the visitor it's as good as putting up a sign that says, "Don't Come Back!". For the faithful, negotiating an environment fraught with obstacles, drabness, and clutter ranges from subtly depressing to downright dangerous. A building that feels uncared for will make worshippers feel the same way.
If we believe that hospitality is a gospel mandate, it really is part of the mission of the church to look at our buildings with fresh eyes, to take an inventory, and to take care of the things that need attention. In terms of facilities, hospitality translates into four categories: Safety, accessibility, comfort and attractiveness. But if you can't see the problems, how do you start? One way is to pull together a small group. With notepads in hand, do a field survey. Try to see the whole church plant as though you were seeing it for the first time. Bring a camera or two. Put yourselves in the shoes of the newcomer, a person who is elderly and frail, a very young person, or someone who is disabled (as are we all, at one time or another). Think how it would be if you were not used to negotiating churches at all; if you didn't speak the language of what you expect to find where. Let's take a look from the outside in:
The Approach:
• Is the church pleasing to look at? Besides general maintenance, does the landscaping enhance the building or hide it? Does shrubbery encroach on entry walkways, signage, exterior lighting, windows? Well-pruned trees enhance the building, while a hack job looks like you're fighting creation. Attention to detail and bright plantings near the entry draw attention to it. Changing flowers in tubs help mark the seasons of the church year.
• Are walkways and entries clear and easy to negotiate? Or have roots, settlement or frost heaves pushed up concrete and brick, creating broken slabs and safety hazards? These should be repaired as soon as possible. In facility triage, safety needs have highest priority. If it can't be fixed immediately, paint with safety orange to draw attention to the hazard. Slippery walkways and steps can be coated with clear non-skid coatings. Step edges should be taped or painted white.
• How is the approach at night? Is the building easy to see and attractively lit? Are parking areas, pathways and entries lit well enough to be safe?
• Is it clear where to park? While spaces for the disabled are mandated by code, not all churches remember to mark a few convenient parking spaces "reserved for visitors". This is especially important where parking is tight. Does the church have a well-placed bike rack outside?
• Is the signage and circulation system clear and well-coordinated? Or is the church sign that was so nice 20 years ago in need of replacement or a new coat of paint? If new parents visit with a babe in arms, can they find the nursery? (And once you get there, does it look like a safe, attractive and reliable place to leave your infant?) Are the restrooms clearly marked? During the week, is it clear to visitors how to find the church office?
• If your church entry involves a level change, how hard is it to find access that can be negotiated by a wheelchair, crutches, or a stroller? It's not enough to provide access if it can't be found, or if you need assistance to negotiate it.
The Entry
- It is desirable for first time visitors to be able to see inside the building as they approach - it helps people feel they know what they're getting into. Church architecture does not often make this possible. At the very least, a pair of wide-open doors into a well-lit entry helps.
- The entry area or narthex needs to be attractive and constantly monitored to keep clutter down. Does the visual serenity of your entry enhance a sense of calm and reverence? Or is it the repository of lost umbrellas, galoshes, hats and coats, dusty hymnals, errant crayons, out of date postings, dying plants, boxes and broken prie-dieux? You get the idea. Be ruthless. Post things elsewhere. This will leave space for the visitors' book, bulletins for one service only, copies of the church newsletter, and large-print prayer books and hymnals to be clearly visible and available.
The Sanctuary
- Can everyone see clearly? Good lighting does not mean overkill, but illumination that subtly enhances the space while providing focus where needed and task lighting for reading. Great improvements have been made in the field of lighting in the past decade, and a quality lighting design can really "pop out" a handsome old building. New lighting may also be more energy-efficient, although the hours a sanctuary will be in use do not make this the most important consideration. A good lighting consultant is well worth the expense. It is not always necessary to replace old fixtures - it may be possible to augment the system and relamp instead.
- Does the seating work for everyone? Is space allowed for wheelchairs? Do little people have to peer over pews? Some churches have made the front row of seating into kid-friendly soft cushions on the floor. If seating is so uncomfortable as to be a hindrance to worship, consider replacement.
- How are the acoustics? Are there dead spots for speaking or singing? Do absorbent surfaces make the congregation sound as though it's singing into a giant sponge? Bad acoustics discourage people from singing. Sound does not turn corners. If these are problems, an acoustical consultant who has experience working with liturgical churches can help find solutions, including more resonant surfaces, baffles, and sensitive amplification.
- Is the floor covering dangerously worn? Torn, frayed or bunched carpets are a safety hazard. Old softwood pews can splinter - repair them.
- People with chemical and environmental sensitivities are miserable in buildings where there is perfume, incense, or poor ventilation. Almost all of us get headaches from chemical off-gassing of synthetic carpets and pads, upholstery, wall coverings or adhesives, especially when they are new. Consider, when it is time, replacing with natural fibers. Some churches ask parishioners not to wear scent. If incense is used for a special service, can the sanctuary be fully opened and ventilated in time for the next event?
- As in the entry, strive to minimize visual clutter. One cross is enough - more diminish the primacy of the symbol. Think hard about how much "stuff" you need. Less is more. Even though the Oxford Movement is long gone, with its Victorian delight in holy bric-a-brac, objects tend to accumulate to the detriment of worship.
- Is your color scheme stuck in a sixties beige syndrome? Paint and finishes can be brought up to date, brightened, and made richer for a comparatively moderate outlay.
Other Areas
- Once the service is over, does hospitality of space extend to the parish hall, kitchen, meeting and classrooms, administration areas? Can you find your way around? Are fire exits blocked with furniture?
- If your gathering areas have folding chairs and other storage items stacked against the walls, build a storage system. Throw things out. Be creative about storage. Streamline.
- Is the kitchen clean and neat? Can things be easily found by anyone who uses it? Label storage areas. Discard the unnecessary.
- Paint, light, and ventilate restrooms well. Are they up to code, with adequate exit width, clear turning radius for wheelchairs, etc.? Even if total code compliance has to wait, do as much as you can. Get rid of all unnecessary furniture, install grab bars, and realize that more will have to be done.
- Are church school rooms bright, interesting, attractive, neat? Would you want to leave your child there?
In short, a church is like home. When it is warm, inviting and safe we all feel better. When company is coming, you want them to feel neither intimidated nor discouraged, but at home. And at church, company is always coming. The welcome our buildings extend should mirror God's love to the world in its embodiment of hospitality. Our church facilities should be places from which we go out better able to do the things the gospel asks us to do. Is this too big a charge? Maybe that's ok. Keep the larger goal in mind, and a task list that may seem daunting starts to look more like an opportunity for faithful, even joyful ministry.
Published in Vedstry Papers and Pacific Church News