Who is the church building for?

This is an interesting question, especially in the light of sustainability and the issues surrounding 'getting rid of buildings'. It also features (well it should) in any considerations regarding alteration to, or building' of new church buildings, halls and the like.

My ideal is that the church building would be a place 'owned' (not perhaps in the legal sense) by the community and 'used' by the Church. The problem is that this is not often the reality!

When I was a child we lived in the back room and the kitchen. The front room (weren't posh enough to call it a lounge) was reserved for special occasions and visitors. The sadness is that this is the same situation that I find in church buildings that I visit. There is the special room kept for God and Sunday services and then there are other rooms (if they have other rooms) which are earmarked for committees, Sunday school and perhaps a hall for the community too!

We are on the road to building but we want to build something that the community can use and make their own and still have a space for us to do our worship. Some of those in the discussion are convinced we need a special room that is reserved only for services and that this shouldn't be left open to all and this is part of the potential curse of having a building as I see it.

As I go around doing missioner stuff I find so many church members who want to bring people into 'their church' and they want to do it on their terms and have the visitors behave in ways that they consider to be right and proper. They can come but only if they are respectful and act like us; But only on a Sunday as the rest of the time we keep the church building locked (locked churches - now there's a discussion to be had!). It's 'OUR' building and you should be grateful we let you in at all.

Take a look at the question that is the title of this blog entry and have a go at answering it and when you do ask yourself if the building/s you have match the response. If they do then hallelujah and if they don't - what do we do about educating, changing our building or perhaps getting rid of it.

Pax