third place for everyone

We talk a lot about the third place space in your facility being a fresh way to extend your ministry into your community, and it should be primarily that. Most of your facility, actually, should be primarily that. Recently, I was talking with a consultant in the industry (who shall remain nameless because he turned out to be less interested in sharing ideas than getting new business), and we discovered the internal benefit of third place space.

Your building is a tool. Renovating, expanding, or abondoning it for a new one is a major event in the life of a congregation. Healthy congregations tend to come out stronger in the end, but what of not-so-healthy, divided congregations?

Not-so-healthy, divided congregations should be careful about starting a building project, but they can benefit from some third place space. Congregations that are not of one mind usually don't know each other very well. A welcoming, relaxing third place space will often draw the congregation together and allow them to socialize and get to know one another more.

The good news is you probably don't have to put an addition on your building to do this. If you know your church body needs some strengthening before you move into a building project, you can usually find some space to turn into a temporary third place. Many churches have a large narthex, lobby, or other open space.

Here are some simple suggestions:

1. Add seating (around some tables). People will gather in a big empty room for a while, but they'll stay and get to know one another when they can get comfortable.
2. Up the food and beverage service. If you're just serving coffee now, add donuts. If you're already doing pastries, add fruit, bagels, or pre-wrapped deli sandwhiches and juice for lunch. This can become an outreach ministry as you partner with a local bakery/deli. If you use them exclusively, they may agree to give you a discount along with some napkins that have their logo on them.
3. Get a stack of newspapers.
4. Advertise it every once in a while. Get creative once every four to eight weeks. Offer a cook-out one week after your worship service, or bring in a balloon artist for the kids. These don't have to be big events, just something to make people aware of the community that's going on.

Above all, have a good time with it and don't put huge expectations on the thing. You're providing a space for community to happen (Joseph Meyers would be so proud), but you can't make it happen. Have fun, meet people, introduce them to each other, and they'll get it eventually.