After God made Adam, He saw that there was no suitable helper for him on the earth.  While Adam was sleeping, God took one of his ribs and formed a woman.  Eve’s very name (meaning life giver) speaks of the part she is to play with her husband.  We must ask an important question here:  Has the church forgotten God’s plan for woman and disregarded her contribution to church building projects?

When we are commissioned to design a facility that helps a church live out its God-given vision, the initial stages of getting to know the church are critical so that we can design a building that represents the church’s personality and call from God.  It is apparent to us that the women of the church may not always be well represented.  (See our Summer 2006 newsletter)

There is a significant gender gap between the personality of today’s church and the makeup of the building committee.  Although women may make up the majority of the constituency of worshippers, men often dominate positions of leadership. 

In some cases, during the early stages of a project, building Committees are made up entirely of men.  After a majority of the design and sometimes construction is complete, a committee of women is selected to choose the interior finishes.

This lack of gender balance through all stages of the project can negatively influence both the efficacy of the project and the resulting finished spaces.  Without simply acquiescing to the typical stereotypes, many women tend to be compassionate communicators, while many men seek to ‘get things done’.  When there is both a masculine and a feminine presence on the building committee, ideas, decisions, and potential concerns can be more effectively communicated to the congregation at large.

Consider the New Testament church - the very first Christian communities met together in homes, spaces associated with women.  Acts 2:46-47 tells us, “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  We cannot underestimate the importance of bringing the home atmosphere into the church.  Let’s look at some of the areas in a church where the influence of a woman brings about the accomplishment of this goal.

We have been given excellent feedback from the women in our organization and several of our church partners who seem to have a good feel for locating, designing, and integrating intimate gathering areas in expansive lobbies.  These comfortable seating arrangements are conducive to spontaneous, informal assemblies.  Although men are increasingly participating in the care of their children, it is still the women who have the preponderance of responsibility for the young ones.  We find that their sense of children’s needs helps them put together warm, colorful, inviting spaces that greet children and encourage them to come and stay.  A woman’s natural gift of nurturing is manifest in the spaces she carefully plans.

Over the years, sacred spaces—those places set aside for meeting with the Lord—have been shaped by the people who design them.  It is our assertion that it is vital to include women in the process of planning spaces for churches.  She will be an integral part in helping to design and build spaces where love and life flourish.

We encourage every church contemplating an expansion, renovations or new construction project to include men and women in all stages of the process.  A gender-balanced input is vital to a unique and successful facility design that sends a message of love and acceptance.  Churches that champion women’s involvement will have multiple benefits that assist their outreach and desire to make their church a home away from home.

Visit www.ChurchArchitects.com for more information on similar topics!

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