Building a facility?

The photo above is the "Ladies Parlor" at one of the most successful all-purpose buildings that I've seen.  I'm posting it as a reminder that, while readers of this blog almost certainly are focused on the volleyball court, or basketball court, or indoor go-cart track, or swimming pool or hockey rink that a church might construct al all-purpose building to house, that you will get a whole lot farther in getting your project done if you consider all your constituencies.

At Trinity Lime Rock we're in a growth phase (yes, I know that mainstream congregations are supposed to be shrinking rather than growing, especially in New England) and the notion of building an all-purpose building probably has more possibility behind it now than it had a decade ago when I originally proposed one almost as a joke.   Additionally, because so many parishes are closing, it's currently viewed as a bit irreverent to suggest new construction.

However, at present our Sunday School is outgrowing their facility, and the choir has seriously outgrown theirs.  Our art program would be scheduling additional shows were it not for a conflict over the available space with Crescendo, the regional chorus that we spawned about eight years aog.  Our sports program seems to be growing even faster, and we keep coming up with community  activities that we could do if we only had the facility to do them in.  So we're actually in a position of needing to re-thing space utilization.

The Ladies Parlor in the photo was likely a fundamental requirement of Memorial Hall of the Liberty Methodist Church, in Liberty, NY, when it was constructed; as much so as the kitchen or the Sunday school rooms, or the basketball court/volleyball court/space for parish dinners.   While the building was largely the gift of one local family, it doubled the church's footprint, and it needed to deal with the needs of the entire church community -- including, back then, a place for the elderly ladies of the congregation to do whatever elderly ladies do in a Ladies Parlor. 

My personal recollection of this room was that was where I attended Methodist Youth Fellowship (yes, teenagers WERE involved in that church -- likely due to the athletic facilities it had).  Behind the sliding doors at the back of this room (see photo) is the basketball court.  Interestingly, even though the building was already a little long in the tooth by the time I became familiar with it, I never saw those doors opened.  Clearly it was still an imperative that this concession to Victorian times remain separate and distinct.

And well it should have.  It was, after all, part of an all-purpose building.

Churches that do it right, example #1

This article is particularly intended to outrage mainstream protestant clergy in the Northeast.

To most of them, the idea that young people should be permitted to do ANYTHING physical at church is anathema (hope I spelled that right), and that if they do happen to be permitted to do something physical, that the activity could possibly be COMPETITIVE is somewhere beyond anathema.

Starting with this post, I'll provide some cases of churches that do it right (I've already said a little about the Methodist Church of Liberty, NY -- sorry they do not have a website, although they do have a gymnasium).

The next example is the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Please take this link to view the main page of their youth group on their church website.

Yes, I mean it. Please DO look at that page, and do it now. (There will be a quiz.)

Have you looked yet?

Really, please look before we go on. I'll wait.

Okay, I understand that "Cumberland Presbyterian" is a little on the edge of mainstream protestantism.

However, I will say that I know a little about this particular congregation because my wife grew up in it. She's fond of referring to them as "the high church Anglican Cumberland Presbyterians" -- they have a magnificent structure, a three manual pipe organ that can blow you through the (masonry -- wife's father was also the masonry contractor for this job) back wall, and lots of other "stuff" that would work pretty well in most mainstream protestant denominations.

You can read about their main worship space here.

And they have a six lane Olympic swimming pool, as well as lighted tennis courts, and a playground.

"Yes, but that's down South!"

And so it is. But, in a city with a church on virtually every corner, these folks seat 1000 in their sanctuary, and come pretty close to filling it regularly.

So, mainstream protestant clergy in the northeast, can YOU do that?

Of course you can't.