The “Third Place” in Church Design

The desire to become a Third Place is influencing church design.

The concept of fellowship in churches has expanded. When the word fellowship was used in churches a few years ago it usually referred to a planned activity in a cafeteria-type room called the “Fellowship Hall”. This room was a place designed primarily for the membership of the church to have meals and meetings.  Now efforts are being made to extend fellowship to a broader group of people and in a much broader time frame, available almost any time people have a few moments to interact. As the church has become more intentional in outreach, it extends its invitation to fellowship not only to Christians, but also to the broader community in hopes that through relationships formed, more will come to know Christ’s love. This may occur on a Tuesday evening after work hours just as often as on a Sunday morning. The place designed to facilitate these informal, casual, and serendipitous encounters may be referred to as a “Third Place”.

The use of the term is borrowed from Ray Oldenburg, who wrote of the third place people spend time, the first being home, the second, their place of employment, and the third, a place of their choosing, like a bar, a fitness center, or a park. It is the place they feel they belong, where they enjoy the company of friends, or as the old TV program “Cheers” puts it, “Where everyone knows your name”.

This is really nothing new, even in the church. Churches in the 1960’s and 70’s began offering areas to give a place to relax and have a cup of coffee and a light meal long before anyone was talking about third spaces.  A few church recreation centers such as First Baptist Church of Houston, Texas pioneered these cafes, but most had such limited hours and almost no ambiance, so there was not much growth to the movement, until recently. Too often they were an afterthought. The main attraction was to be the gymnasium. Today, churches are realizing that they can forgo the gym, and for a smaller investment get much or more ministry in an intimate “people space” when done right.

Today, architects study what contributes to the atmosphere desired in a third space, and churches are working at being that place. A variety of hard and soft seating, soft lighting, food or drink, warm colors and textures that create a relaxed and casual atmosphere, all these contribute, but it is much more than an architectural equation. It involves an assortment of factors that come together to achieve that special quality that makes people feel comfortable and eager to share their lives with a group in a special place.

Many churches are mimicking Starbucks, with warm, contemporary color schemes and lighting. Add a good blend of music, some comfortable furniture, and some friends who facilitate conversation and interaction, and this might successfully create a third place for some, but what attracts one group may repel another. Live music that is a magnet for one group may be too loud for another. Dim lighting may attract some, and keep others away. Churches (and society) are still experimenting with these elements and learning what works, and there does not seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution.

How much personal interaction really goes on at a Starbucks? Look around and you will rarely see anyone talking to anyone they did not come in with. The baristas are not particularly friendly, and the food is just so-so. Is this the model we want to duplicate? Can we do even better?

First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, South Carolina has created a high-tech, postmodern student facility designed for such interaction, others aim at young adults, and even children. The indoor playground at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, Louisiana attracts parents to bring their children to play, and in the process they get introduced to a group of other parents in a similar stage of life willing to share their time. The ultimate goal is to have them interact and encourage them both in their relationship with Christ.

Senior adults have been the beneficiary of programs that facilitate relationships and bonding informally. These were not called third spaces, because they were not necessarily place-oriented, but they achieved at least some of the same purposes, giving a place and time to interact and share one’s life and enjoy being together.

Different churches are taking different approaches to achieve the same goals. Some limit the available hours to Sundays, others are only open on weekdays. Some offer food or coffee, others offer games and free childcare. Creating a warm and inviting room alone will not make it a successful third place, but it is important to create a people-oriented place that facilitates conversation, in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. If your goal is to reach unchurched people, the first step is to make such a space available in as broad a time frame as possible. Friday nights and Sunday lunches are not enough to be effective for a wide spectrum of culture.

The Re:fuel Cafe at 19:10 Church in Texas

To make it work, you will need to train managers, baristas, and facilitators to keep the place running smoothly and get the conversation going. Having a few key people to facilitate interpersonal relationships without losing the relaxed and informal nature of the encounter may be the most important element in the success of becoming the third place to today’s diverse cultures.

Still, the question lingers in my mind: Is this the right approach to fellowship in the church? Would it be better to go to Starbuck’s than to create a “Christian” Starbuck’s? Why go to all the effort to duplicate this environment when someone else has already done it well, without spending tithes and offerings to do so?

I will address these questions further in the next installment.