Sunday church services had become just another spectator event. Attendees came, sat, stared, spoke to no one, and went home. It wasn’t a community of believers. It was just another passive audience of disconnected strangers.
But then somebody rearranged the furniture. And things started to change.
It happened at Bethany Lutheran Church in Slidell, Louisiana. And also at Kauai Christian Fellowship in Hawaii. The church leaders decided to place round tables where pews or rows of chairs once stood. Overnight, the environment produced a new atmosphere. Now when people enter the worship space, it looks more people-friendly. It invites personal interaction.
At Kauai Christian Fellowship, pastor Rick Bundschuh said his folks also put food goodies on the tables to make the experience even more inviting.
Seeing the transformative impact of seating around small tables, we tried it at our Group Publishing headquarters building. We brought in 36-inch round tables for our staff meetings. We saw an immediate difference in our people’s engagement. The atmosphere changed from a lecture hall to a warm gathering of friends. We’ll never go back to chairs in rows.
This configuration of small tables helps remind us of the true meaning of “church”–a community of believers living out our faith together. Like the early church, people actually get acquainted, share joys and sorrows, and pray for one another. In Sunday morning settings, this happens at tables before and after the services, during prayer times, and during “table talk” times interspersed in the message time.
Through extensive experimentation, we’ve found that this interaction best happens around small, round tables. We’ve learned that 36 inches is the ideal diameter for conversation. Everyone can hear one another–even in a big room with hundreds of tables. And four people per table is ideal for sharing without anyone feeling intimidated by a larger group.
George Gallup, Jr., through his research on the spiritual lives of Americans, said, “Belonging comes before believing.” Faith grows in the context of relationships. Churches that value relationships would do well to create environments that promote relationships.
Kauai Christian Christian South is our go to for fellowship on Kauai. So amazed by the warmth of the congregation in pews – I can only imagine how that vibrancy explodes with tables. Their special programming for youth from the gymnasium with body building and fitness, to special weekend events like Rock U and summer camp, to the marathon run. Truly a group on the move for Christ.
Great stuff as usual, Thom. Will be sharing to Church for Men.
I love the concept, and in the summer when attendance is lower, we have done this. It’s difficult on a regular basis because the tables diminish our seating capacity from 450 to about 300. We’ve had a few hurdles come up too, and I’d like to hear some feedback on how to overcome these things:
1. People who are intimidated by the concept. We’ve actually had people walk in, see the tables, and walk out. Not just once person once, but several people at different times. There are hurting people who come to church out of desperation, but are not yet ready for intimacy and want to just “hide in the pews” for a while until they are ready to come out of their shell.
2. People who end up sitting at a table all by themselves, despite our ushers’ attempts to try to seat everyone with someone.
3. A family of visitors who takes up an entire table themselves. They never get to interact with anyone from the church.
Ideas, anyone?
Maureen, the churches mentioned in the article offer both styles of seating–chairs in rows and around tables. That gives people the option.
Also, we’ve found the small round tables are much less intimidating than typical long “church tables,” or large banquet tables.
To help arrange people well around the small tables, we announce at the beginning for people combine or disperse to get with a table of four, and a table that includes someone you didn’t come with.
Do you find that first time visitors are willing to break from each other in order to sit with people that they didn’t come with?
No. And I wouldn’t advocate trying to force it. It’s better to couch it as an invitation. Such as, “It’s usually more fun to be at a table of four. And if you’d like to meet some new friends, feel free to join another table now.”
Well said. Thank you! This discussion is very helpful.
Maybe you could have a couple larger tables in the back corners where greeter people could sit with visitors so they are back, comfortable and with some people who are good at talking to strangers. So you have tables of 4 but a larger round table for 6 where regulars and members don’t sit meant for visitors and/or greeters only till the new people are comfortable. Just an idea. You don’t want new people coming in sitting alone and then leaving without anyone talking to them. Also pastors need to make it a point to go greet new people right after service.
Great idea. I could really see that working.
Maureen, you raise some valid points. At our church we have tables along the sides, and rows of chairs in the middle. I like for people to have the option. Also, we wear name tags because we do value relationships and wearing one does help to promote relationships. Our name tags are the peel and stick kind so everyone, including visitors, are identified in the same manner. I think it’s awkward for visitors to wear a name tag that looks different from those members who may wear the same pin on name tag every Sunday.
Cris commented on Facebook: “I LOVE this approach to our work community and would love to see more churches give this a try. It has made such an incredible difference for us at Group.”
David commented on Facebook: “I’ve been saying for a long time that the first thing the church needs to do is tear out the pews so people can engage with each other rather than stare at the backs of other people’s heads. Communion should be interactive and sermons should be interactive.”
This concept is only viable for fellowship, bible sharing, interaction or prayer needs, etc. after a sermon / teachings from the pulpit to everyone as some may be new believers or immature. Maureen Small has outlined several shortcomings with this concept.
People are giving some great ideas, though, to overcome those shortcomings.
[…] found this article very interesting and thought provoking. We do not have the ability in our sanctuary to pull this […]
Information, yes. Inspiration, please. Interaction, finally!
We love Rounds @ Cityreaching.com
We’ve added tables to our north campus because space allowed but we also have leather sofas mixed with chairs. It provides an interesting set of options but besides the subtle message it provides this set up makes it easier to turn and dialogue.
We have Sunday evening cafe church once a month in our fellowship hall. We start off with a meal and then have a modern divine service. After the service dessert is served. I would not like to have this every Sunday. Yes, it is a good way to invite non church goers to church and have fellowship, but a divine worship service is God coming to us and I feel this type of service sort of changes it around to us trying to worship Him.
I disagree with you. Nowhere in the bible does it tell us to have a service so God will come to us. In fact Jesus said that if any two or three (note the small number) gather together in my name I will be among you. And here is a shocker; we are to worship Him. I think the small gatherings (even if it is just a table with 4) is great. You want to walk as a Christian then one must get rid of the notion that you have to have a large gathering to do so. Just try going through the day talking with Jesus. You will be really amazed how life changes for you. The pastures role is not to tell you what to do every day but to encourage you to keep your eyes on the Lord, to walk with Him; too many pastures are more concerned that you do as they say.
I think the article is driving at some good ideas but i think it’s a good thing to remember what the purpose of moving the tables and chairs is or it just becomes another good religious idea. Jesus came to give you life and life abundant.
Does the moving of the tables and chairs help to inculcate life? Some of the concerns i see in the comments seem to reflect a different base of reasoning other than the production of LIFE. When i hear a concern about numbers I quite often think “wrong focus”.
Wahtever you do there are always reasons why it won’t work or people will get upset. I have discovered and decided the best thing to do is to ask God what he wants us to do and then do it and leave the rest to him. After all, he knows what will work and what won’t.
As I read this, the song, “Jesus be the center of it all” played in my head. I have no doubt his love flows as we gather in community. But I wonder about gathering in a place to worship Him, a place He calls holy because He is holy and He is there. Gathering and forgetting about everything and everyone else and come together to bow down, worship and adore. That is what I long for.
Glad to comment on this notion “that a created community is better than no community.” I go to TV church for the very reason the title of the article suggests. The brick-n-mortar church is the entertainment center for the holy weak. Sorry for being so blunt. Here is my example. Every time (I think) Jesus showed up in a church (building) He left the place angry, confused, discussed, and/or sad. There is even one time He was so (righteously) angry He messed up the front room. So here is my take on this modern way of worshipping. Make church happen within walking distance from your home. Any longer travel is a mission trip. God’s speed. RLW
Ricky, I like your idea, it is biblical as in Acts 2.
‘Make church happen within walking distance from your home. Any longer travel is a mission trip. God’s speed.”
All Christians ought to come together as One Body. Not your church and my church, dividing the Body of Christ.
We should correct each other and work towards reconciling our differences in doctrines in order to unite as One Body in the Truth of Christ.
I love how some churches are breaking out of traditional forms and exploring fresh ways to minister to one another.
There is a thread which is very hard to unwind about churches. The leaders of organized churches have taught the world that “worship” is in the “assembly in the building”. Churches have always announced to the members and the rest of mankind “go to Worship”. Search the NT scriptures for any kind of a message which portrays a message of going to worship and I believe that you will come up short. How could that be, we have heard that all our lives from Christian leaders. There is actually a very good reason that the scriptures are silent upon that subject. Christians are to Worship continually, never stop. Just like the command to pray continually. Christians live a life of Worshiping. The World should never see a Christian in any other lifestyle than living like Christ lived. When Christians gather together the purpose stated in NT is to admonish and build each other up. Gathering is for Christians not for a special “Worship service”. If Christians gathered together into a group expecting God to accept the Worship service to be more powerfully accepted by God than their own living Worship, then each one would be admitting that they misunderstand their relationship with God.
How many times in the years past have you been told or understood from a message that if you miss a service of the church, you have fallen short of what God wants and that is called sin, therefore, you need to repent and ask forgiveness? A lesson from the first Century church, many of those who accepted Christ and were baptized on the Day of Pentecost did not remain in Jerusalem but traveled back home. At home they would return to their occupations. Many of them were Shepherds, they would go into the mountains and remain there with their sheep for a whole season before returning to the markets to bring their goods, lambs, wool, etc;. They did not hire a non-Christian to replace them overseeing their sheep so they could meet with other Christians for this first day of the week meeting. It is very probable they never met another believer maybe not even another human during the season in the mountain, would we suspect then that this Shepherd was no longer a Christ follower or Christian. He fell away because of the lack of meeting with the Saints. We have been taught some very ridiculous rules and regulations, which have been produced by organizations designed by assumed Christians. We should all be aware that Satan attempted to destroy Christ’s Bride by persecuting His followers, Satan was failing until he infiltrated the church organizations to misdirect it’s teachings and lead the followers astray. How many of you have been programmed with the concept that the church is in charge of or has control of your salvation? If you don’t go to church you are going to Hell. All you members of the church go and teach the lost to join our church to avoid Hell and damnation. What is wrong with this picture is that it places the church as the savior in place of Christ. Christ saves and then the saved are added to his church (adopted into his family). Oh, by the way the family is the church, not the organizations which usurp authority over the family.
An excellent comment and so true.