Planning a church event takes a lot of thinking about, and every need must be borne in mind when you’re planning. The demographics of the population are such that you have to make sure everyone is catered to.
Photo from Mount Pleasant
For an event to be successful and inclusive, you have to think first about the kind of event and about how long it will take. Then you have to bear in mind how many people you’re accommodating. You’ll also need to give a lot of thought to how far they may have traveled to get there.
Although people’s minds will likely be on higher matters, it is only right to bear in mind their comfort. At this of all times, you don’t want someone’s mind wandering because they’re not sitting comfortably. If you’re expecting a higher turnout than usual, then some extra church sanctuary chairs may be needed. This may be the case for a wedding or a funeral in particular when more people may have traveled for the special event.
The more people there are at an event, the more body heat you have to account for. That being the case, you have also to consider the time of year. Think of a couple of hundred people crammed into a church together in June. Unless you’ve made allowances for air conditioning, it will get uncomfortable for all concerned. And as many of the attendees might be advanced in years, that’s a health concern.
Connected to the number of people in attendance is the importance of having some space for them to move around. Very few church events are purely sedentary experiences – most will involve some standing at least. The communality of the event may mean that people need to go to greet one another, so you cannot have them crammed in like sardines.
The duration of a church event is largely a simple matter – it takes as long as it takes. Particularly considering that the attendees will range from the young to the elderly, it is important to consider access. You may need to make allowances for wheelchairs and pushchairs. This needs factoring into everything – from seating space to room in the aisles. Of course, no-one wants to think about an emergency, but you need to be prepared.
Photo from Flickr
Again depending on the kind of event, you may be laying on refreshments during the service. This being the case, you have to ensure that you have a clean-up crew planned for the event. Hired hands or willing volunteers, it’s up to you (and them). But anywhere you have a lot of people together is going to leave an imprint. And if that imprint includes crumbs, then you’re liable to have non-human visitors pretty soon.
The most important thing in any church event is that all the attendees can be there together in a spirit of contemplation. Bear this in mind when creating an environment for them and you’ll have a gathering that generates positivity. This will be remembered in the best possible light for years to come.
