Fresh Eyes from a Visitor: An Interior View

by William Cowles

I love it when a church cares enough about a visitor to put up big, bright, legible, signs that point to their worship centers, welcome desks, kids’ areas, restrooms, coffee bars, and did I say restrooms?

And, it’s a big turn-off when they don’t have my needs in mind. I hate having to wander around feeling lost and out-of-place, and chances are very good I’ll never come back.

Newer, bigger churches have a distinct advantage here, because they have the space to hang banners, build kiosks, and put flat-screen message boards all over the place. Older, smaller churches have a challenge because, generally, they have been constructed in ill-fitting pieces that end up like a corn maze. Their floor plan maps look like crossword puzzles. Making it even worse, their hallways are narrow, ceilings are low, and sight lines obstructed at every turn.

Some churches I’ve visited recognize this disadvantage, and, because they care about the welcome level of their visitors, have well-trained, smiling docents to guide guests to their destinations. That’s a great way to overcome visitor anxiety over being lost and lonely. But, that takes a lot of volunteers, and even the most dedicated trail guide goes off-duty occasionally. Then what do you do? You’d better have signs. Everywhere.

My favorite example of how to do this right is at Independence (MO) First United Methodist Church, a 178-year-old monument to brick and stained glass located in the heart of President Harry Truman’s hometown downtown. This historic facility is intertwined with stairways, hallways, and doorways, and it even has tunnels left over from Civil War days. When Pastor Mitch Jarvis was appointed to lead IFUMC through transformation, he got to see his charge through the fresh eyes of a visitor, and he saw that visitors would get totally lost without good signs.

His search for signs led him to First UMC in Sedalia, MO, that makes church signs through its “Signs of Our Times” ministry*. The bright, white on blue, eye-level pennants trumpet clear directions to every significant venue in the building. As a first-time visitor, I had no doubts about what was where and I could concentrate on discovering more important information about the people, mission, and vision of that welcoming faith community.

When we coach church leaders, we tell them to walk into their facilities as if they’d never been there before. Try it yourself. What do you see? How do you know where to go? Is it easy or hard to get directions? Do your signs point a clear way, or does the path look pointless?

* www.storage.cloversites.com/firstunitedmethodistchurch9/documents/signs%20of%20our%20times_2.pdf