6 Problems the Perfect Church Sanctuary Setup Can Solve

Every church strives to be a place of fellowship and worship for the community. An important way to accomplish this is to grow it's congregation overtime, increasing attendance in order to reach more people.

Not all churches are successful and the continued lack of growth (and maybe even loss) can be frustrating.

As you fine-tune your growth strategy, pay careful attention to how your sanctuary is set up. It seems negligible, but in many cases, your setup can make or break the overall feel of the congregation.

Here are some problems that a perfect church sanctuary setup can solve to help you grow your congregation membership.

1. Reduce new member awkwardness. It can be really scary to attend a new church for the first time. If the sanctuary is set up so everyone immediately notices when a new person walks in, they might feel so put on the spot that they never come back again.

Make sure to leave plenty of back row seats and lots of extra chairs available so that new members can safely “lurk” in the back. If they can quietly observe your church services, they are able to get familiar and comfortable enough to integrate and become regular attendees.

2. Reduce audio issues. Depending on how your sanctuary is set up, the sound may not carry to everyone in the same way. Older members with hearing issues might struggle to hear certain tones or volumes.

Fix your sound system, including adding buffers to reduce echo issues. Then arrange and rearrange chairs so that members throughout the room all get to hear the best and the clearest sounds. This might mean bringing everyone in closer or it might mean spreading them out more. Play around with arrangements, while also making sure that attendees can see as well as they can hear.

3. Bring congregation members closer. Some churches set up chairs in a way that makes it easy for everyone to keep to themselves. While it’s good to have some “lurking” areas for shy new members, it’s important to get regular members to interact with each other to encourage bonding.

Arrange your seating so that members can see each other easily. Set up only a few chairs more than you’ll think you will need. This will help reduce the tendency for attendees to put one or more empty chairs in between them and another member. Get them sitting closer and interacting. It will help them make friends and feel more dedicated to the church.

4. Make it easier for parents. Making it to church every week is hard when you have small children and babies. Consider parents’ needs when you’re creating the sanctuary setup.

Leave seats in the back available for parents who may need to dart out during a service to attend to a baby or child. Make sure to also provide excellent services for children so that parents feel welcome in your congregation.

5. Encourage attendance from the elderly and disabled. Don’t forget mobility issues when you’re designing your sanctuary setup! Leave several areas in the front and back for people in wheelchairs and those that use walkers or canes.

If you have deaf or hard-of-hearing members, provide them with preferential seating up front where they have a better chance of understanding the presentation.

6. Flexible seating for every event. The best sanctuary setup is flexible so that it can be arranged, then rearranged, and then rearranged once again. If you’re like most churches, your building also serves as a community center.

Make sure that your seating is created with comfortable, transportable church chairs so that seats can be rearranged for special events. Provide storage options so that seats can even be removed for important events like weddings, dances, and dinners. Encourage your members to be social together!

Church Sanctuary Setups

The ideal sanctuary setup is the one that works perfectly for your church. Be willing to try new things and rearrange a setup that isn’t working. Involve your staff and volunteers to test the seating out with you to make sure that all members will be satisfied with the arrangement. Focus on creating a space where members can be comfortable and welcomed. In no time, you will notice your numbers growing and members attending regularly!

When you’re ready to invest in quality church chairs that will help you create the perfect sanctuary setup, reach out to Classroom Essentials Online. We offer competitive pricing, a wide selection of options, and excellent customer service. You can find us online at classroomessentialsonline.com and by calling us at 1 (866) 404-7671.