If a Church looks nice as a building, then this will invite more passers by to attend a service, and possibly become a part of the Church community. If it looks like a place that is attractive and welcoming, then there is more chance of them joining. A clean, well-designed, and well-maintained facility shows the community that you care.
Why do humans dress in posh clothing? Because they like the way it looks and feels. So what is the difference between his and the way a Church Building is maintained? There is no difference. People spend money on clothes, and the community spends money on Churches – all to make it look and feel good.
In the Old Testament, the people built altars to commemorate certain events. These altars reminded the Israelites and others of something powerful that God had done. Just like the Israelites, we too are a forgetful people. Out of sight is out of mind. We are very busy and constantly distracted by our everyday lives. Church buildings serve as those visible reminders of God's presence in our community.
Some modern Churches (many in other countries) have gyms, swimming pools, workshops, and many other things at their Churches. All of this costs a lot of money, but the benefits are so great. It invites the younger generations to come to Church, and for the Church to carry on, and for religion to stay alive, the younger generations need to be involved.
A well-designed sanctuary can affect the worship experience drastically. On the other hand, a poorly designed sanctuary can inhibit the worship experience. When we use a space for a purpose other than what it was intended for, it is difficult to create the results we should have. For example, if you use a gym for a worship service, you will probably find that the sounds and the lighting are not designed for that kind of service. In fact, you may find that the behaviour of the audience will begin to reflect the type of space being used. Instead of the respectful and orderly behaviour we should have in a worship service, you may find that people will do things during a service that they would never do in a sanctuary.
The building is a teaching tool for children and new Christians. The sanctuary is for worship, the classrooms are for study, and the playgrounds are for having fun. Each space, if designed for its intended purpose, and should enhance each activity, making it much more enjoyable and rewarding, as well as distinguishing the church from other ‘normal’ places.
The Church community is a family, and the Church building is that family’s home. The church building provides the same kind of security and feeling of home to a congregation that the home provides to a family. When there is no permanent home in either case, the family tends to fall apart.
On the other hand however, many people agree with all of the above, but view it that there are other more urgent needs in the world, such as poverty and starvation; more important than a ‘building’. Would God really want us to be spending money on ‘bricks and mortar’, when there are people dying of hunger right
under our noses? The answer is that we don’t really know – we don’t know what God would want us to spend money on – you can’t buy love, and you can’t buy a friendship with God. If you don’t already have a relationship with Christ, then what is the point in life anyway? And many people answer that if these starving people are fed, homed and clothed, then maybe they would find it in their hearts to turn to God. These are human lives we are talking about, and effectively, if we know about the problems, and we are choosing not to deal with them, then we are as much as killing these people. Not only starving and unloved people though; natural disasters leave homes, towns and villages wrecked – in unliveable condition. Surely rebuilding a destroyed town or village so that people can return there is more important than having a luxury Church? This is what many peoples view is – why spend so much money on something that we don’t actually need? People living in the streets; people with no friends or family; people who have cancer; people who have no money, clothes, food or home; people who have no relationship with God – these are the people who need our help – not a building. Although money cannot buy love, it can buy a liveable life where you don’t spend each day wondering where you next meal is coming from, and in conjunction with this, people are more likely to see what a loving God we have as a father, and more likely to want to spend time with him.
We don’t need a Church building. This is what many people say and believe. We can have a service anywhere – in the local café if necessary – as long as it is a praying community of love for one another, and the Holy Trinity, it doesn’t matter where the service is actually held. We can spend the saved money on helping to restore the rest of the world, before restoring a building.
In my opinion, both of the above sides are correct. We do need to help the needy, but we also need a Church. On balance, I think that we should spend a balanced amount of money on the Church building – maintaining it and restoring what needs to be restored. If the Church is located in a city or big town with many people, then I think that a Church is a perfect place for a gym/pool/library. If they are not situated in the Church, or on the Church site, they will still be built elsewhere – still spending the money, so it might aswell be at the Church. It will encourage more people to attend, and it gives people many new opportunities. I think that a Church building is a very important part of a community, and money should be spent on it to make it a great place – which is what it should be – a great place! I don’t think that a Church needs to be a Palace, but it does need to be a place of God!
