The picture of what an engaging church looks like has
certainly changed over the years. What key characteristics
do engaging churches share, today?
Kuehn: I’ve worked with churches of all shapes and sizes. From my
perspective, the most engaging churches today are the ones who meet
their people where they are. The churches who find their way into
people’s daily lives — not just Sunday mornings — are the ones who are
growing. Their leadership teams include people from all disciplines, not
just ministry, to bring balance to their growth, as well.
Fredericks: In the most engaging churches, a feeling of family and
sense of belonging are very important. People want sermons that are
relevant to where people are at in life today.
Hood: They’re secure in knowing who they are. They’ve found
their personal balance between structure and freedom. Churches
today can connect in ways we couldn’t even dream up just a few
years ago — and that’s a good thing! But, adding solid technical
connections while maintaining a freedom for the Holy Spirit to move
freely can be quite a challenge.
For example, not too long ago, if I was leading a service that had
more of a free flow to it, I would just print out a bunch of chord charts,
have them on the music stand, and flip through them to whatever song
I needed. I would start to play a few bars, and the band could pick up
where I was going and follow along.
If I were to lead that same service today, different thoughts run
through my mind. Now, if I want to make a song change, these real
thoughts race through my mind in a matter of microseconds:
• Do we have the lyrics loaded into the graphics computer? If not, will the
vocalists know the words?
• Will this song gel with the lighting cues already planned?
• Where’s my phone? Can I text the front-of-house engineer?
• Will the broadcast and camera team get the message?
• Will this throw off the ushers to come up for the offering?
• Does the bass guitarist have a printed-off sheet of this?
• Does the acoustic guitar need to capo?
• I don’t have a click track. Will the drummer be OK?
In fairness, some tools give the worship leader more freedom in going
back and repeating a chorus (for example), but we still face limitations to
abandoning the plans for the day and doing something different.
We must establish a balance between technical and musical
excellence and the freedom to follow God’s prompting. If we take the
time and invest in specific efforts that will work for our congregation,
we can find that balance. It will look different for each of us, so we have
to devote ourselves to taking the time to pray and seek God out in these
matters. God’s prerequisites for worship might be different than ours. But
if we ask for wisdom in this area, He will give it.
James: Engaging churches today provide space and opportunity for
connection and relationships. Our culture thrives on relationships, and
relationships require the ability to be connected to others.
From a facility perspective, it means designing gathering spaces
that allow people to feel comfortable, to have space to have intimate
conversations, to feel welcome and not rushed. When we speak with
church attenders and ask about what they like in a church facility, we
hear words like “warm,” welcoming,” “safe,” “comfortable,” “family-
friendly” and “inviting.” People are engaged when they sense these
feelings within our churches.
A truly engaging worship experience also requires connection.
Attenders want to feel connected to the experience and the people
leading them in worship. Sanctuary design changed dramatically over
the past three decades. The main driving force is that people want to feel
a personal connection to the lead worshipers on the platform. They want
to sense the sermon is more of a personal communication — almost a
conversation, even — rather than a speech or teaching session.
Technology helps us with this through magnification, but the shape
of the room, the volume of the room, the intimacy of the room, and the
sight lines are all critical elements in design that help “engage” those in
the audience.
Conrad: The topic of engagement was critical to our conversation
with Rodney [James] and his team at Master’s Plan. The theme of
our campaign is “Transforming the Next Generation,” because our
desire is to engage our church community by creating a space where
transformational discipleship can take place at all levels. Rodney and his
team have coached our staff through the process of developing not just a
floor plan, but also a way of using our building to become more effective
in the way we conduct ministry. It’s clear to me that the intention is
to create areas of ministry that engage our people in the culture that
already exists.
Do engaging design strategies differ between age groups?
Fredericks: Yes; studies have shown that younger families are
looking for a more modern feel in their churches but still want some
traditional elements — stained glass, crosses, and so on. The sanctuaries
also need to have adequate sound and media equipment.
James: McDonalds led the way to help churches learn how to engage
children. The brilliance of the chain’s first playgrounds increased their
traffic by more than 60 percent.
It took longer for churches to catch on; but when they did, they took
it to the extreme. They wanted to engage kids — and wanted kids to
want to engage — so children’s spaces went from white block walls in
the basement to fully themed, colorful and inviting spaces that were
attractive to children and, therefore, attractive to families. Kids today
often have cell phones in their hands at age 2 or 3, so churches have been
challenged to design technology that engages the kids as they learn.
Designing engaging children’s space is fun and challenging, especially
when we’re trying to maximize dollars in a project budget.
Engaging students (youth) means creating space that they can
recognize as “their space.” Too often, student ministry gets leftover or
shared space — and especially the leftover furniture! This is tragic,
because it clearly communicates to the church of tomorrow that they’re
not valued (especially if they come from a newly renovated children’s
area). Engaging youth spaces have a vibe, feel, and communicate an ethos
that they belong, they’re valued, and that they’re a part of the church’s
culture. These spaces also must be technologically up to date and allow
space for fun, as well as learning.
While many senior adults love that their church is reaching young
families and growing the Kingdom, they’re often the most left-out group
when it comes to engaging churchgoers. Church building teams must be
cautious not to engage only young people to provide vision and direction
for future facility modifications, because they don’t often consider the
needs of seniors. Things that matter are proximity from their space to
parking and from their space to the sanctuary, as well as proper lighting
and access for walkers, wheelchairs and motorized chairs.
An engaging churchgoing experience starts the moment
an individual steps foot on campus. To that end, which
engagement strategies do churches most often overlook?
Hood: Perimeter areas are too often ignored or underdeveloped.
You’re right that a person’s experience starts as soon as they step foot on
campus. From an AV perspective, in some cases, there’s no connection
until the person walks through the auditorium doors.
People who’ve attended your church their whole lives forget what it’s
like for a new person. For example, if someone steps foot in the lobby
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