tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post1600492942005349496..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: The Changing Face of Church ArchitecturePastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-34083690327305781732010-09-20T11:03:59.183-05:002010-09-20T11:03:59.183-05:00I remember what Dr. William Willamon said when he ...I remember what Dr. William Willamon said when he became Dean of Chapel at Duke University. He looked at the beautiful vaulted ceiling, the stained glas windows and the collegiate gothic architecture and wondered how he was going to reach jaded middle class kids in a place like that. A year or so later he thanked God that the student body was called to chapel in a building whose architecture said 'kid, I don't care what you got on your SAT, God is bigger than you are.'Rev. Allen Bergstrazernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-46330773176719731152010-09-04T09:51:03.090-05:002010-09-04T09:51:03.090-05:00I had a fascinating experience when I was head of ...I had a fascinating experience when I was head of the Biological Sciences Department in a community college. We were going to remodel a space for a much needed lab space for our students.<br /><br />In working with the architect about my "needs", he shared a math formula to calculate how many students could be served in the area as a reflection of how many square feet per student were needed.<br /><br />I was also serving an inner city parish in Tucson at the same time (ye, I was a worker/priest) that was built in 1961 with small restrooms, classrooms, hallways, etc.<br /><br />I asked the architect how the formula changed over the decades and he smiled. He said that the space "requirements" had more than quadrupled in 40 years because of perspectives of what proximity of the next person was comfortable to us.<br /><br />Another anecdote: one of our teachers' daughters is a missionary in Hong Kong. Home on furlough, she commented to me that is was so nice to be able to extend her arm to the front and side and not touch another person...having "space".<br /><br />It is definitely a culture specific "need" that the church, in order to be "welcoming" must seemingly conform to. That's an expensive cultural expectation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com