First Impressions Count: Lobbies are Key

Consider a tale of two churches: A young couple, relatively new in town and looking for a church home, walks into one, then the other.

The first church is a little dingy, with outdated paint and fixtures and a sterile, cramped lobby leading to the auditorium. The carpet looks a bit worn and stained.

The second church enters into an open, bright space. Its homey, living room atmosphere is complete with fireplace and soft, cushy seats in clusters like you’d find in a coffee shop. Not to mention that there actually is a coffee shop, and people are laughing and chatting over warm drinks and muffins.

The first place a new visitor sees is your lobby—or to use various church lingo, your “fellowship space,” “atrium,” “café,” etc—and these spaces have been greatly increasing in importance in recent years.

At both churches described above, people are friendly and genuine. And both boast dynamic teaching and similar qualities of worship music, programs and doctrines. But to which does the couple return?

No surprise here: probably the second. Because first impressions are vastly important—for facilities as well as people.

Your church’s physical appearance and frontline interaction with newcomers could make or break the chance of a return visit.

A church should say “Welcome Home” when folks walk in, whether they’re new or occasional or regular attenders. Those serious about growing their churches in terms of numbers and community depth should take this reality seriously.

We fully acknowledge that physical space, by itself, is not the most important thing about being the body of Christ. But every space emits a vibe that encourages certain responses from the people in it—and you want your space to encourage comfort and open interactions.

We’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of larger churches in Colorado and nationwide providing café-like areas and even full-service coffee shops, which offer WiFi and operate during the week as well as on Sundays. The idea is to provide spaces where people want to be, and gather naturally.

Large churches are increasingly making building and facilitating community a priority. And an attractive, comfortable “coffee-shop” space is conducive to that. Instead of running out the door after a service, people feel invited by such a space to stay a while, hang out and connect with others.

That young couple probably knew which church felt more welcoming before they ever consciously analyzed it.

See our next blog for more on making a great first facility impression for your church.