creating welcoming spaces

ginghamsburg is a mission-driven church but that hasn't excused us from valuing our visitors! we strive to create welcoming spaces that invite guests to feel at home and navigate effectively on campus. we don't have much community space built into our campus so we max out the spaces we have. conversation areas, great signage, information when needed. these are elements of a church that strives to welcome new guests and encourage the community spirit within. what does your church do to create welcoming spaces? we'd love to know.

rainy days and mondays don't always get me down

...and today was one monday that was perfectly awful outside - rain, snow, sleet and very cold. inside the fort was a different story. five servants painted, sanded, hung lights, munched on salad and brownies and shared stories. this extra room off the main worship lobby has now been transformed into a prayer room. new furniture is yet to come - and decades of historic fort mckinley photos will grace the wall on the left side of the room. all oak wood paneling was repurposed from the worship stage/pulpit area.

as the first prayer in the new prayer room, i downloaded the "prayer for darfur" from www.prayerinstitute.com and read it aloud at lunchtime. we know God hears us, even in a small room in a depressed city on a rainy monday afternoon.