Construction impact on worship
I've been trying to figure out something for the last couple of months. In 2006 we saw a huge increase in church attendance. the church went from a regular attendance of just over 100 in August/September of 2005 to monthly averages over 150 in late 2006. Then I noticed we struggled a little in December. January and February didn't pick up. And so far in March it hasn't picked up.
We've had some folks move. But that always happens. The lower numbers are because we haven't replaced those who have moved. I've been killing myself to figure out why? Is it something I've been doing or not doing? Have we changed something?
We've made a few changes, but all of them seem to have improved things. They certainly haven't hurt.
This weekend I think I figured it out. When I came into church yesterday morning, there were desks and chairs and broken down Aircon units all over our parking lot space and in our walkway. I was reminded that until December 2006, we had a great parking situation with a pretty welcoming environment. There was underground parking right under our worship space. Signage was easy. The place was reasonably easy to find and clean and safe looking. Then Bangkok Christian College (which is where we worship) started their construction project (Christmas weekend!). We had massive parking problems for Christmas eve morning and evening worship, neither of which we were prepared for. How welcoming is that?
We have had periodic problems ever since. Every Sunday, workmen are downstairs banging away. Yesterday was really dusty. Workmen were drilling and sanding drywall. There was a layer of dust on the floor. You might think you needed a hard hat to enter the area.
I now suspect I know what the problem is. Could the construction be hurting our ability to attract or keep newcomers? Of course it is! I wish I had a solution. They say that construction will finish this month. My prediction is it will finish the week after Easter! :) But I'm worried. The current construction is preliminary. They are relocating classrooms in preparation for building a highrise elsewhere on the property. I hope there are no more surprises.
If you pray for our church, pray that God would help us overcome these obstacles. The church has talked about raising money and building for a long time. Challenges like the ones we've faced over my two years make that seem like an attractive plan sometimes despite the heavy cost.
We've had some folks move. But that always happens. The lower numbers are because we haven't replaced those who have moved. I've been killing myself to figure out why? Is it something I've been doing or not doing? Have we changed something?
We've made a few changes, but all of them seem to have improved things. They certainly haven't hurt.
This weekend I think I figured it out. When I came into church yesterday morning, there were desks and chairs and broken down Aircon units all over our parking lot space and in our walkway. I was reminded that until December 2006, we had a great parking situation with a pretty welcoming environment. There was underground parking right under our worship space. Signage was easy. The place was reasonably easy to find and clean and safe looking. Then Bangkok Christian College (which is where we worship) started their construction project (Christmas weekend!). We had massive parking problems for Christmas eve morning and evening worship, neither of which we were prepared for. How welcoming is that?
We have had periodic problems ever since. Every Sunday, workmen are downstairs banging away. Yesterday was really dusty. Workmen were drilling and sanding drywall. There was a layer of dust on the floor. You might think you needed a hard hat to enter the area.
I now suspect I know what the problem is. Could the construction be hurting our ability to attract or keep newcomers? Of course it is! I wish I had a solution. They say that construction will finish this month. My prediction is it will finish the week after Easter! :) But I'm worried. The current construction is preliminary. They are relocating classrooms in preparation for building a highrise elsewhere on the property. I hope there are no more surprises.
If you pray for our church, pray that God would help us overcome these obstacles. The church has talked about raising money and building for a long time. Challenges like the ones we've faced over my two years make that seem like an attractive plan sometimes despite the heavy cost.
