Building the Church Building (03/27/25)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re talking about church buildings. In the previous episode, we discussed the disappearance of kitchens from church buildings. But what about the building itself? What should a church building look like? What may it be used for? And how do we raise money to pay for it? We’re going to talk about all of this today.

STORY – Americans Think Church Should Look Churchy

Outreach-minded evangelicals have often argued that church buildings need to be less “churchy” to draw in would-be seekers. But that might not actually be true, according to recent research from Barna Group and Aspen Group asking a representative sample of 2,000 Americans questions about the architecture of sacred spaces.

When Americans close their eyes, they can picture a church. Even if they rarely or never attend one, they have an idea of what a church should look and feel like—and a preference. That preference is quite traditional.

Nearly 90 percent of Americans say a church should be “easily identifiable,” and 8 of 10 say they want the building to “reflect the beauty of God.” There are some, to be sure, who prefer that churches feel modern (38%) and trendy (28%), but most Americans want religious spaces that feel more timeless and transcendent. (Christianity Today)