Here are the answers to the questions I received in the open meeting. The first few are about the logistical end of the project and hopefully the info provided will help. The last question is much more complex. Both Justin and I have provided answers. Feel free to ask more questions as they arise.
Be blessed in your prayerful discernment. -Todd
How
many pews would we lose to meet ADA specs?
2 pews one on each side.
If we estimate 6 people on a pew that is 12 less seats. Our current
total estimated seating capacity on the main floor is 196 (180 in the pews plus 12 in the back
row of chairs). So that would bring it down to 180. Our current average attendance
is roughly 100.
How is
the ADA spec measured?
From the back of the pew to the back of the next.
ADA spec is 36” back-to-back & 12” @ closest points
What is
the cost to recover the pews?
$19,864.15
What is
the cost for removal and reinstall?
$4,443.50
Why are we doing this, or what are the ministry benefits of having chairs over pews?
At a recent open meeting I (Todd) was challenged by multiple people to present the ministry angle or benefits to chairs. Let me just say to begin, ministry will continue at SMC regardless of the furniture-but this is an opportunity we are exploring and so it’s right and good to ask the “ministry whys”. Ministry is about people, always has been and always will be, for me. When I initially thought about chairs, two people immediately sprang to mind.
One was an individual who regularly came to SMC in a wheelchair and had to sit in the back. While I know they never complained, it limited them and their ability to sit where they wanted to or perhaps where it would have been optimal for their ability to see and hear. When I thought about them, I also thought about the future and all the other people who could end up in a wheelchair in the near future. In reality, it could be any of us! I would want anyone to be able to sit wherever they want.
The other person I thought of was one who came to the funeral of their spouse. They were in a wheelchair and because the family sits up front for the service, they were compelled to sit up front as well. Since the casket would be brought in and out they could not sit in the aisle, so they ended up, right up front. Because of grief, weakness and lingering illness - this person fell asleep in the service and since no one was close to them they couldn't put an arm around them or give them a nudge. This was embarrassing to the individual and the family. Having chairs would have allowed this individual to sit right beside their family and avoid being conspicuous to the level they were.
Ministry is both corporate and individualistic and that is the balance we tried to find-how do we accommodate the individual in the corporate setting. If an individual is in a situation that worship is hindered, we seek to do anything we can to make it accessible. This is why we have an interpreter for Bobby. For him to fully enjoy/understand our worship time he needs Lucy to be there and so we make it happen for him.
I also have concern about our side aisles and people's hindered ability to move in those with walkers. The aisles are too tight. Having chairs would allow us to make the aisles as wide as we wish. We could also take out chairs to accommodate walkers or other items and help it be out of the aisle or not squished into the pew. Again, the idea is to allow the person to be less conspicuous with the equipment that they need to access our worship time.
I have also had the vision for Mass Sunday school experiences in the sanctuary that are video based like we did years ago with the walk across the room resource. I believe it would have been so much more effective if we would have been able to use tables and chairs in the sanctuary for people to sit at and discuss the lesson with each other.
Then what if we would have had tables and chairs for worship as well-it would have been a totally different feel-who knows maybe people would have enjoyed it?!
Making the largest indoor area on our campus more flexible will likely open us to more ideas and opportunities then we can even imagine right now simply because we are limited by the current setup. I am pretty good at visioning without any context but I'm very good at visioning in context, example: I never would have dreamed up a Beam Olympics until we had a wing with a massive beam in it. I wouldn't have dreamed up a car show without a nice parking lot. I can't really imagine all the ideas God might give me once the space is opened up but I believe He will. Moreover, I believe in the potential that he will give others at SMC, ideas that would be better than mine like the way Brad's car show is better than mine-good ideas can lead to great ones!
Those are the “ministry whys” I have for now, when it comes to moving from pews to chairs. I’m prayerful in my discernment towards our vote and hope, if there is more inspiration about chairs, I’ll be able to share it sooner than later.
-Todd
Sanctuary Update Ministry Vision
Justin Smith
An important question we need to ask before any decision is made is who are we for? It helps frame our conversations, focus our approaches, and direct our actions. Being a young adult with a young family, I have an idea of what would appeal to me. The thing I struggle with and have to catch myself at times thinking is, what would appeal to and how can I be for the unchurched person?
I heard at the open meeting that one demographic of people we want to be for is young families. And I think all of us want to be for unchurched people. If we want to be for those groups of people, we must think about what would connect with them best and what they would be most familiar with. Those two answers bring comfort and that they were thought of and planned for.
While the type of seating won’t bring people in or save people, it might help with the assimilation process of people. Below are some points/ideas that could be done if movable seating were a possibility:
1. Movable seating would bring familiarity to new people that come to SMC. It is one less difference and hurdle they/we would have to overcome.
2. Having the ability to have tables set up in the back of the sanctuary would additionally enhance the experience for people and offer variety. Tables and movable seating offer a welcoming and informal setting.
3. People tend to worship in a variety of ways. Right now, we worship in a few ways which are the same every Sunday. With the use of moveable seating, we would have the freedom to offer a variety of “stations” in the Sanctuary that would allow people to worship in a variety of ways: art, journaling, communion, foot washing, etc.
4. With the movability of chairs, there could be very creative ways our Sanctuary is decorated for different occasions and holidays. We would not have to be limited to decorating with immovable seats.
5. Movable seating would open up the options to have different configurations for different events or services: Marriage conferences, concerts, angled seating, prayer groups, etc. One idea that I had was that we could move our service outdoors and have church outside in the summers so that we could be visible on a Sunday morning to the people going down 585.
Much conversation about how SMC wants to be has revolved around connection. We want to be a place where connection can happen and where it is welcomed. Movable seating will not create that in and of itself, but it gives the possibility for creativity to allow more connection to happen.
What I heard at the open meeting was how moveable seating will impact us or challenge us. We need to seek what God would have us do with the perspective of thinking about the person who is not here yet. I hope you can join me in that.
Please feel free to ask questions or present concerns to me. I would be glad to hear them.
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