Have you ever wondered what your church looks like to the unchurched? The outside of your building, the inside. Or what about the service? Can you imagine if someone of another faith asked you to go to their church service; what you’d feel like?
Your senses are all heightened.
- Sight. You see everything. From the upkeep of the walls to the cleanliness of the carpets. Then you see how organized their stage is (or isn’t). What about the people that are there? How they’re dressed in the audience and on stage.
- Hearing. What sounds do you hear as you enter the building; and then just in side the doors. The sounds often make you feel uncomfortable or comfortable. Is the lobby/foyer loud or eerily quiet? Then in the service, can you hear everything well, not well or partially?
- Touch. When you reach for the door, does it feel clean? Well kept? What about the comfort of the chairs? The hand grip of the person who says “welcome!”. Is the worship guide a nice size in your hand and what’s the texture of the paper? How about the offering plates? What do they “feel” like?
- Smell. What’s the outside smell from your car to the door? Inside the lobby, the bathroom, the auditorium? What about the classroom space or the nursery? Are there more perfume smells that scream “covering up something” or “way to much”? 60% of us don’t smell the odors in our our homes — and I find the same about work spaces and worship centers.
- Taste. Most times, we don’t think about this final sense. But what about the water from the fountain? Or if there’s coffee or donuts furnished? How about a special spread of food for fellowship? Or perhaps it’s just the cumulative “taste” left in your mouth after you leave.
It’s a good way to walk through your church again for the very first time. People are sensing whether you care about your “worship” center. And their 5 senses tell them if you care or not.
Everything speaks in your church. And people are listening. And touching and smelling. And tasting. Just make sure you see all of this before they choose to go elsewhere.
