I have visited five churches over the past three weeks that have radically transformed their premises. All five of them have been typical Baptist buildings – different periods, sizes and shapes, but identifiably Baptist. In all five cases I think they have done wonderfully well and have created buildings that are far more welcoming, flexible and comfortable. In every case it was clear that a great deal of time, imagination and money were poured into the projects.

Anybody who has ever come close to a church building project will know that they are hugely demanding. As Baptists we are committed to listening carefully to one another and that is exquisitely difficult when it comes to buildings – because everyone has an opinion! I am therefore deeply aware that behind every building project lies hours of careful conversation and negotiation. It’s a tricky process and relies upon a high level of spiritual maturity and wisdom.

Every building tells a story. When I described the five buildings in question as “welcoming, flexible and comfortable” I’m bound to conclude that those qualities arose out of the fellowships’ careful reflection on mission. We want our buildings to be welcoming because we believe that the Gospel is for everyone, and if our buildings don’t proclaim that message then it’s going to make our job far more difficult. We want our buildings to be flexible because we are called to be good stewards and it is indefensible to have vast buildings that can only be used for a couple of hours a week. And we want our churches to be comfortable because that is integral to the welcome. Our society lives with a relatively high level of comfort and so it is simply unrealistic to expect that anyone would want to visit our churches if all we can offer are painful wooden seats.

It’s good to reflect in this way because it emphasizes the crucial need for prayer and deep reflection whenever building work is contemplated. We want buildings which reflect God’s nature and the mission that he has given to us. At the same time we want to be good stewards. Building work is incredibly costly and we dare not launch into such a venture without a peaceful and united sense that this is what God wants us to do.

Hopefully the outcome of building work is more effective mission. If we end up with buildings that merely make life more comfortable for the existing congregation then we have surely missed the point. What interests me especially about building work is the way in which the new building sets in motion new dynamics. Often a more attractive exterior has an immediate impact and draws new people in, or it sets up new conversations in the community. Many of the building projects that I’ve seen have extended the welcome areas and space for people to chat. Within a short time such new space can help the fellowship to relate in new ways, and even spark off the thought of new gatherings.

This is deliberately all very building-centred, on the basis that if we have buildings then we need to make the best use of them. But we dare not become tied to our buildings. The majority of people find church buildings incredibly forbidding, however attractive and comfortable they may be. And within our Baptist family there are many church fellowships that don’t own their own buildings. An increasing number make use of community buildings, or borrow other people’s church buildings. This has clear disadvantages but it enables a fellowship to be enormously flexible and light on its feet. Circumstances vary enormously but the Gospel doesn’t. We need to keep on working hard to ensure that the way in which we live as churches reflects the welcome and love of God.