The Vision: How We'd Use the Space Part 1...Upstairs

Last week we talked about the need for a new vision at our church and how that need has intersected with the demands of ministry here to create a long-range plan for converting the church parsonage to ministry use.  Today's question:  What would that actually look like?  How would we use the space and why would it make a difference?

I experimented with different ways of presenting this visually...taking pictures, drawing plans.  Nothing is converting quite right to our blog space right now, at least not in the time and energy I have to devote to the project.  We'll figure out a way to do that soon.  For now, a description will have to suffice.

The Counseling Space

As you walk in the front door of the parsonage you first notice a door to your left.  This leads to a small room now being used as 2-year-old Ali's bedroom.  At one point it was the church office.  I don't know what it was before that.

In our new vision, this room becomes the space for counseling with the pastor:  crisis counseling, marriage counseling, or just chatting.

It's a dirty little secret of our church now...we don't have any space suitable for meeting with the pastor.  The sanctuary is far too large and there's no way to sit facing each other.  The fellowship hall is also too large, giving no feeling of intimacy.  It's also exposed to anyone who walks in the door so there's no privacy.  But the smaller, more private back rooms are dark, furnished with metal chairs and industrial tables, sided with dark brown paneling covered with Sunday School material (as they're Sunday School rooms now).  When you're feeling emotionally vulnerably they're a little like sitting in a dungeon.

This is not to disparage the building nor the work that went into those rooms.  There's nothing wrong with them intrinsically.  They're just not suited at all for the purpose we're trying to put them to.  When you come in for counseling, feeling that vulnerability, you need a place that's fairly contained size-wise, well-lit, private, and decorated in pleasing, comfortable fashion.  Anything else makes you feel ill-at-ease.  That dissonance puts you at a disadvantage and makes it harder to connect with the counseling.

Right now I choose the lesser of all of these evils and meet with people in the fellowship hall.  There's too much space, the chairs aren't right, the tables interfere, and that parking lot door looms in threatening fashion but at least it's well-lit.  The light is the only psychological advantage but without it none of the rest matters much.

The room off the parsonage entryway, however, needs but a throw rug, a comfy love seat, and a couple chairs to make it work.  The size is right.  It's not hard to light.  It'll be a 500% improvement over anything we have, allowing people coming to us in need to feel comfortable, protected, secure.

The Small Group Spaces

The next thing you see as you walk in the parsonage is the living room/dining room area.  These are ready to go pretty much as-is.

As we've gotten to know each other better several small groups have sprung up among our ministries.  Craft group, Bible Studies, Theology on Tap, Council/Committe meetings, and various youth group events are all examples.  These groups suffer from the same issue that people in need of counseling do, no suitable space.  The problems are the same: rooms too big or too small, lighting, comfort, ability to see each other and interact.

In our new vision the living room becomes a seating space for conversation.  Couches and chairs will ring the perimeter, creating a natural and comfortable circle.  Right now we get the "comfortable circle" feeling when we hold Theology on Tap and the dividends show.  Those of you who have been to those meetings, can you imagine having them in the Fellowship Hall?  You'd never approach that level of intimacy in those quarters.  With the parsonage living room all ready to go, every meeting can start with that Theology on Tap feeling.  We might also mount a small TV on the wall in case Bible Studies wanted to use video as part of their discussion.

In the dining room space we have a long table.  This can be used for any meetings that require a flat surface upon which to work and is also available for more formal meetings such as council.  It goes without saying that you could eat at this table as well.

Living room and dining room would probably double as Sunday School space for the High School class, as their curriculum involves discussion more than crafts or moving around.

The Kitchen

Located behind the dining room, the kitchen remains fully operational.  That means pop, snacks, coffee, or even the capacity to prepare a meal are only steps away from any room.  There's plenty of counter space, stove, microwave, fridge, sink...everything you'd need.

Bathroom

There's a bathroom just down the hall and one in the basement as well.  No need to run over to the church!

Sunday School Rooms

At the end of the hall past the basement are two comparatively large rooms which would become Sunday School rooms.  They're bigger and brighter than the current ones with plenty of wall space, room for crafts, space to move, and storage right there in the rooms.  Plus Sunday School classes would have access to all the other amenities of the building:  kitchen, TV's ready to go, and the downstairs equipment too.  The combination of space, light, storage, and available technology would be a dramatic change for our Sunday School teachers compared to the conditions in which they work now.  Our biggest class doesn't even have its own space!  They have to work in the Fellowship Hall with people coming in, out, through, and around all the time.  Having their own room would just be...dreamy.

Already we've addressed multiple church ministry needs and we haven't even gotten to the most exciting parts yet.  Wait until you see what happens downstairs!  To be continued...

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)