This is the last in our series of posts on how building spaces can create a great first impression for visitors to your church. Today we focus on areas that are made with children in mind.
Visitors are going to pay particular attention to the quality, attractiveness and safety of the children’s spaces in your church building, and parents will quickly realize you value them if you also value their children. Making a great first impression on the children has more to do with those spaces having their own identity and youth appeal. We believe the following children’s church spaces do just that.
Westerville Christian Church
Westerville Christian Church had a vision for their church reaching out to the community, and with our help they built a 19,189-square-foot facility that included an indoor children’s play land, which is open to the public for community kids to play in and have birthday parties. Tables and chairs are in the same space as the play land, making it easy to set up parties, and in this way, they bring a lot of people into their church building. The great first impression these children’s spaces make, leads to visitors getting more comfortable being in the building and more likely to come back for worship.
Grove City Church of the Nazarene
Church building spaces that work for both children and parents can be an excellent way to make a great first impression on visitors. Grove City Church of the Nazarene did this by creating a huge, bright children’s play area right next to the tables and chairs where adults gather for coffee and conversation. The children’s area is clearly decorated to indicate its use, and a check-in kiosk is available to help visitors get their questions answered and their children to the right place. Now, we understand that not every church has a budget for something so elaborate, but this gives you something to think about as you discuss how to implement your church’s vision for welcoming children and their parents.
Crossview Church
The McKnight Group’s latest blog on great church building spaces reveals how bright and dynamic kids’ areas draw families by making a great first impression.Decoration is key with a successful children’s space. Crossview does this with floor-to-ceiling wall murals that clearly express a theme. Extending the theme to the check-in desk, and the “water” under it, helps children feel that they are entering their own special area. In fact, when spaces like this make children excited about coming to church, they are more likely to bring their friends, which will help bring in more new families.
If the budget doesn’t allow, paint and appliqués designed for walls could be the answer — in other words, making a children’s space bright and inviting doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. It also means you can periodically change the theme without it costing too much. This will help keep children interested and families motivated to return to your church building again and again.
To learn more about how to create great children’s spaces for worship and fun, learning and laughter, sign up for one of our free i3 webinars today.