What “Story” Does Your Church Facility Tell?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Over the past several years we have become acutely aware of the essence of “story”. We hear this term used in the church world and in corporate settings.  It has been used to get people to open up about their lives and life experiences. On a “corporate” level it is the interwoven thread used to identify the mission, vision, direction and passion of organizations. The reality is, we all have a story.  Some of these stories are sensational while others may seem mundane or routine while others grip our emotions and pull on our heartstrings.

What I have really grasped lately is that everyone and everything has a story to tell and that people are “reading” those stories even when we are not aware. We do not have to write a “screenplay” or book any to tell our story. When we walk into room full of people, you will start to read certain aspects of people’s stories and they will start to read yours as well.  They might not see the entire story, but they will see some pretty obvious chapters in that story.  The way you walk into the room will tell the chapter of your story related to your self confidence or possibly your physical attributes or limitations. The way you shake the hands of the other guests will share yet another part of the story as will the cloths you are wearing…and you may not have even said a word. In addition, the appearance of the room tells a story (more on that in a minute).

The concept of “story telling” is what has become an “Ah Ha” moment for me.  I have learned that some of the most interesting, complex, intuitive and compelling parts of my story are those observed and not heard. If I have to verbally communicate that a component of my story is generosity and kindness, then it is very likely that those attributes are not really part of my non-fiction story, but rather a fictional trait that I want people to believe about me.  But congruent stories are generally seen and felt long before they are heard or verbally communicated.  In fact, I believe that some parts of our story, those with the most intrinsic value, are never spoken. We did not need to hear Mother Theresa tell us she loved orphans. We do not need to hear a speech by Shaquille O’Neil to know that he is a large man who has done well for himself as a professional athlete. We do not need to have a mother rocking her baby to tell us that she loves that gift from God.  No, we can see it.  We can feel it.  There is something that communicates the story to us just by looking at the person or the situation.

“Story” is all around us…in virtually every part of our daily experiences, which means that our church and ministry facilities also tell a story. The questions for church leaders are: 

  1. What story is it tell?
  2. Are we intentional about the story?
  3. Is the story congruent with who we are, what we believe, what we stand for and who we want to reach for Christ?

I believe there are 4 primary stories that we need to be cognizant of related to our church facilities:

  1. Design
  2. “Vibe”
  3. Condition
  4. Functional

We will not have time to unpack these in this article, but let me provide some primers for future discussions.

DESIGN– The design of the facility is far more critical in telling your story than most people think.  Road appeal matters.  Aesthetics matter. I am not saying that your facility needs to be opulent or look like the Chrystal Cathedral (sad what has happened there), but it is going to make a “statement” and tell a story to those in your community.

 Let me give you a common mistake I see church planters and new churches make.  

They do their due diligence and locate their church in an area of the community that fits their “target market”.  They understand the community and the people they plan to reach.  They build momentum…which leads to grow…which leads to crowded conditions in their rented facility…which leads to buying land and building a facility.  As with most new churches, money is tight and yet space is needed for ministry. So they find themselves in the conundrum of space vs. dollars.  They have bought land in an area of $250-400,000 homes…right in the heart of their target. That is GREAT! But because of their need for “cheap” space, they throw up a plain metal building.  What story have they just told their community?  Will people that spent $400K on their house…who are not yet believers, want to come to the little metal building around the corner?  

Now, I totally understand the need to have space to fulfill the vision, mission and ministry of the church.  I get that there is a limited budget.  These are real issues. What I am suggesting is that we be intentional with our facility design…and intentional does not necessarily mean more expensive.

 “VIBE” – This may sound like a 1970’s slang term (which it is)…but it applies to   our   facilities.  Dictionary.com defines it as – “a feeling or flavor of the kind specified “. Simply put, what kind of “feeling” do people experience when they are in our facilities? This is not a discussion on contemporary vs. traditional but on what emotions are sparked in a guest…and is it congruent with the context of the church?  If your church is liturgical, then you will want a vibe that reflects your approach to worship.  If you are reaching post-moderns, then there is going to be a different vibe for them.  “Vibe” needs to be intentional and consistent through out your campus

CONDITION – The condition of our campus and facility tells a story that is often overlooked. As regular attenders, we start to walk right past the grass growing in the parking lot or the duct tape on the carpet in the lobby or the stained ceiling tiles…but our guests see those things right away.  They notice the condition of the facility and unfortunately, that story can be a major distraction to their experience on our campus.  A key point we need to grasp is that for a first time guest…particularly a non-believer…they are comparing their experience to your facility to all the other “consumeristic” experiences that week.  Your competition is another church but rather the barista that always gets their coffee order right or the grocery story with the really nice restrooms that they take their kids or the restaurant they went to Saturday night.  Like it or not, our guests are consumers before they become contributor, and their “first impression” might be their last.

FUNCTION – This may sound odd as you may be thinking that the function is for worship and ministry.  While that is true, does the facility tell a story regarding the functionality and ease of navigation?  Do you have way-finding that helps that guest know they are welcome and help them identify exactly how to get their kids to their classes without having to ask direction or feeling lost? Do you have long lines at the restroom between services?  Is the lobby shoulder to shoulder between services with no place to share life with someone?  Are you common areas more like a cattle shoot than a place people can connect?  These are all part of the functional story.

There is so much more we need to cover on these stories…but that is for another time.  Take a minute this week and either walk your facility with a set of “fresh eyes” or better yet, get someone from your community to do a “secret worshipper” visit and report back to you what story the facility is communicating.  It could be telling.

Tim Cool
Chief Executive Officer
Tim Cool is the President and CEO of Smart Church Solutions and takes great pride in helping churches optimize their facilities. When he’s not at the helm of his company, he’s dedicated to his family, being a husband to Lisa and a father to 27-year-old triplets. An enthusiast of the outdoors, Tim enjoys the simplicity of hiking in the North Carolina mountains.
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