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Imagine a church sign that says, "Welcome to our church! We are a cold, confused club, and you probably won't like it here. Worship service at 10:30." No one would be dumb enough to put that message on a church sign, but some churches are sending that message by the appearances of their buildings.

It may sound unspiritual, but it's a fact: we're all affected by the spaces we occupy—even church spaces. The curb appeal of your church provides the first impression to your visitors. Then, as newcomers move throughout your buildings, each space announces new messages as effectively as a flashing marquee. If they "see" or "hear" a negative message, they might not come back—or might not even enter in the first place.

So, what message is your church facility announcing?

An accurate answer to that question is complicated by the familiarity we have with our own buildings. We lose objectivity as we grow accustomed to our own spaces. A congregation in Chicago's wealthy North Shore area built a new worship center two decades ago. When they called a new senior pastor two years ago, he was shocked to find steep steps leading from the entry area to the worship center, referring to them as "the climbing wall." But when I visited the church recently and commented on the steps, he said that he had gotten used to them and forgot how imposing or intimidating they appear to newcomers.

In addition, every individual interprets a slightly different message. A middle-aged man who helped paint the student ministry room may feel favorably about the space, recalling the camaraderie during the painting project. However, a teenage girl attending youth group in the same room may shy away from the stark, white walls that scream "institutional and hypocritical authority figures."

With backgrounds as both a pastor and an architect, I've developed a survey to provide objective input regarding the subjective issue of facility perceptions. This "facility message analysis" is helpful for understanding your building's message.

For the most accurate results, the survey should be completed by a number of people in your church with various backgrounds and histories. Each member of the survey team should also ask someone else to participate—someone who does not now attend your church, or has limited knowledge of it. It's even better if those participants are not Christians, so that you'll get the perspective of potential seekers.

Ask each participant to provide honest and frank feedback. You may not like hearing what they say, but denying their input does not change its validity. Don't be like the patient refusing to see the doctor because he doesn't want to hear bad news.

How would you describe yourself (check all that apply)? (NOTE: The labels given here provide a frame of reference for the responses. You may want to substitute other labels that fit better with your nomenclature.)

_______ Church member
_______ Church attender
_______ Visitor
_______ Christian
_______ Spiritually interested
_______ Little spiritual interest
_______ Agnostic
_______ Atheist

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