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ATMOSPHERE
Church should be a seven-day-a-week proposition. This is not to say "churchy" stuff should be going on inside the building all-day, every-day.

Hawaii would be considered a prime destination for many people. A place they want to be. But most people don't live in Hawaii, nor will they visit there. But that doesn't keep it form being a destination. In order to exude the spirit of the islands, some people will dress like it -- with flowered Hawaiian-print shirts, blouses, or dresses. Others will decorate their home with a tropical motif. Anything that shows the inclination of their heart is to be in Hawaii.

So should it be with church. Someone should be able to see us and know church is where we want to be; it is our "Hawaii". And, furthermore, once they are our guests in a service, they should be so taken with what they saw, heard, felt, and experienced that they want to come back -- to make it a destination, their "Hawaii".

First things first. The building. ANY place that does not look like a church. This doesn't necessarily work in every situation, but certainly with many. If you have the opportunity, put your church in an old shopping center or strategically located warehouse. An old bank perhaps.

The primary reason for this is an unfortunate truth. Many people now days do not have a church background, or they have an unpleasant background. Brick, stained glass, and a steeple may do more to keep people out than to bring them in.

A second reason for not putting a church IN a church is this; church buildings will usually attract church people. And guess what ...? THAT IS A BAD THING! If you were a rancher and the way you populated your herd was to take animals out of the neighbor's pasture, that would be rustling. In the old west rustling could get you hanged! Jesus called us to be "fishers of men". The best fishing does not take place in an aquarium, but in the open waters. Our goal should be to attract unchurched people, so "Think outside the box (church)."

If changing the location, or type of location, is not possible, then be creative. Redesign the interior spaces, alter landscaping, update furnishings, remove pews and replace them with chairs. Whatever it takes to give your church an image appropriate for the 21st Century.

Once inside is where people really need to see a difference. I mentioned replacing your pews (if you meet in a traditional church building) with chairs. Now this isn't just any chair, but a padded pew chair. the most significant reason ... seating capacity. On any given Sunday you will see a certain phenomenon occurring. Someone will sit down, and about eight inches away they will place their Bible, or purse, or whatever. Then someone else will do the same. Then again. Then a child will lay down, spreading a few dozen toys all around. Suddenly, a pew that is designed to hold twelve will only hold seven, yet there will appear to not be any more room for anyone else. Your true seating capacity is really only about 70% (if you are lucky) of what it should be. Chairs give each person a clearly defined space. Your true capacity would jump to about 85% before the worship area begins to "feel full".

So, thinking outside the (church) box is not just about changing the location of your services. That may not always be possible. But what you do inside can make or break your church as a destination. Give thought to creating a casual environment, or incorporating some casual elements. Maybe create a little cafe-space. I would try to have a coffee and donut table (or some healthy snack if you rather) available on Sunday morning, and before every service.

A closing word here, worship style isn't really a big item, although I would argue for as contemporary and modern as you can be. After all, the folks who know and understand the older ways are not generally the ones to build around -- long term. So most, if not all, of these items an be adapted to fit most types of churches: liturgical, traditional, fundamental, evangelical, charismatic -- whatever.

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The Practice of Vintage Faith