Is there a mission behind that door? What is it?

I don’t want anyone to think that the building determines the mission of a congregation.  It doesn’t or, at least, it shouldn’t.

But thinking about facilities sometimes reveals our underlying sense of mission.

Take a few minutes to imagine that you could wrap any kind of facility around our sanctuary – anything at all.  For just a few minutes, forget cost and the time of construction.  Imagine that, like the commander of the Starship Enterprise, you could just say:  “make it so”.  What space would you create (or re-create), and why would you do it?  Why would you do it adjacent to the sanctuary – as part of our property -- instead of renting the space, as required, out in the community?  What space do you think would consistently have benefits exceeding the cost, in terms of supporting the mission of the congregation?

Should we continue to have a chapel separate from the sanctuary?  How big might a chapel be, and how might it be configured and furnished?  Who do you imagine would use a chapel, and under what circumstances?

Would you enlarge the narthex?  Would you hang pictures of former ministers, or create display or storage space, or decorate the narthex in some way?  Would you want to create a ‘gathering space’ on the same level as the sanctuary, perhaps with a kitchenette and space to put out goodies?  Would you put washrooms on the same level as the sanctuary?

Would you do anything with the kitchen – modernize it, enlarge it, provide new or additional equipment, organize a different work flow?  Should we think about using the kitchen as a teaching and gathering space as well as a conventional preparation space?  Could it be a community kitchen?  Should we have a larger freezer, so that we could store casseroles for congregants who unexpectedly need help with meals?  Are there other ways in which we could use the kitchen?

Is there any program or activity that requires more space than at present, or space that is configured differently, or more reliable access to space than at present?

Have you ever thought about our building offering a community living and dining room, where families and small groups could meet, or hold a reception, or share a meal together?

Do we need more space, and/or dedicated space for Sunday School, youth groups or adult groups?  Should we make more space available to the community, for meetings or social gatherings?  Should we have a larger performance or banquet hall, for Bring-it-on Cabaret or for any other activity?

Should we have space for week-day childcare?  Should we offer hospice beds or transitional beds for singles who leave hospital and can’t return home without temporary care?

Should the church offices be organized in some different way?  Is access an issue?  Should we create a reception or hospitality space adjacent to our offices?  Does anyone (or group) not have an office and need one (or regular access to one)?

Do we need more storage space?  Do we need more display space.  Should our storage or displays be somewhere other than where they are at present?

Is there any place that we need more light?  Is comfort an issue anywhere?

Should we consider providing a small apartment for a resident caretaker?

Do you have any thoughts about developing our grounds?  Should we put a permanent shelter close to the sidewalk, for congregants who are waiting for a ride, or for use as a refreshment venue when the marathon is run past our door, or for some other reason?

What have you imagined that goes beyond the questions in this post?  And why has your imagination gone where it goes?  What mission drives your imagination?

We welcome your thoughts.