Yesterday I was chatting with a friend of mine who is church planting in Tulsa, OK and is looking into new facilities for the church. His church is very international and has a desire to reach the many nationalities represented in Tulsa that are currently in need of the good news of Christ.
So we were talking about how older church buildings have sacred spaces with added facilities, versus the more modern emphasis on multipurpose rooms that can provide a number of options. On a pragmatic level. the multipurpose concept is very user friendly. It can by a gym, sanctuary, hall, whatever....
But there is also something appealing about a sanctuary. When you are reaching people who have grown up going to temples, mosques, shrines, etc...... , would it not be better for the church to demonstrate the importance of a sacred space?
Now I do recongnize that you can go overboard with sacred spaces. I am not a big fan of some Gothic Cathedrals that are ornate. I tend to like Romanesque Catherdrals. Simple & Sacred.
I am inclined to side with my friend that a sanctuary is important. We need space to be silent, to draw close to God and a sanctuary has that ability. I do tend to be pragmatic so part of me likes the multiuse concept, but I am not sure I would want to give up the value of having a sanctuary.
What do you think? Comments?
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