Does Church Interior Design Matter?
Does church interior design matter? This is a really valid question! Aren’t Christians supposed to be nonjudgemental? Aren’t they supposed to look past the surface? Well, yes! Christians are supposed to be Christlike. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” As much as this scripture shows us about the nature of God, that He looks on our heart and sees beyond the outer layers, it also is very telling about the nature of humans. We are inclined to look at the outside. This is a simple truth about all of us. Apart from Jesus, we look at the surface and make decisions based on what we see.
Design Matters to God
Design matters to people, and I believe that it also matters to God. In Exodus chapters 25 through 31 we read how God provided detailed instructions on how to build the tabernacle. He provided the specifications, measurements, and materials for building what would be His dwelling place on earth among the Israelites. There was nothing haphazard or unplanned about how His house was to look. When our church environments reflect this same intentionality and attention to aesthetics, they reflect the heart of God.
How a Visitor Sees Your Church
The people who walk into your church for the first time assess the outward appearance of your environments. Before a visitor ever has one conversation with someone in your foyer who shows genuine care, before they feel the comfort of a hug or hand on the shoulder from a church member, before they experience the presence of God in worship or the conviction of the Holy Spirit through the preaching, they take in the environment with their eyes through a first impression. Visiting a church for the first time is as much a visual experience as it is a spiritual one. As they walk through your lobby, children’s spaces, and auditorium, visitors ask themselves, “Can I see myself as a part of this church? Do I fit in here? Is this a place I want to be?” Therefore, the interior design of your church absolutely does matter if you want to appeal to people who are coming from the outside in.
Who Do Your Church Interiors Cater To?
A commercial for a chain restaurant stopped me in my tracks the other day. This restaurant closed out their ad with the statement: “Here’s to our regulars. We can’t make it without you.” I thought it was a really smart advertising strategy on their part, but also very telling. They apparently aren’t gaining new customers, so they swung in the opposite direction and decided to appeal to their regular, returning customers. Isn’t this how we often are with our churches? Do our interiors cater to the “regulars” who are conditioned to the way things look? Or do our environments reach out to those coming in for the first time in an effort to help them feel a sense of belonging?
When Experience and Environment Meet
What I’ve found is that for a first-time visitor, a positive experience with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and great service, coupled with an inviting environment, equals a repeat attender.
Experience + Environment = Repeat Attender
When the church’s interiors are just as high-level and incredible as the experience the church offers, that’s how you turn a first-time visitor into a repeat attender. And not only do your environments serve to convert first-time visitors into repeat attenders, they can also:
Communicate your vision
Connect people to your vision
Engage people in your mission
Connect people to one another and provide opportunities for relationship building
And please don’t think that great-looking church interiors are only for huge churches with million-dollar budgets. There are ways to make your existing spaces look current and fresh in budget-friendly ways (click here to get my free download “Five Simple Ways to Improve Your Church Lobby” for practical ideas). Church interior design is about so much more than just paint colors and cool feature walls. This is about someone walking through your doors and saying “I belong here,” and then finding hope and their eternal purpose within your church walls.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
If you’re contemplating a church remodel and you don’t know where to start, schedule a 15-minute discovery call with me and let’s talk about how I can help you!
