[Magdalen] Coffee Hour arrangements (was Re: Heather Cook)

[Roger Stokes]

On 06/11/2015 18:59, Cantor03--- via Magdalen wrote:
> Several congregations with which I'm familiar,
>   with huge buildings and diminishing attendance, have
> taken out the last few rows of pews and have the coffee
> hour at the back of the church at the conclusion of
> their liturgies.
>   
> I have mixed emotions about this, but I must say it is a good
> way to encourage all to participate in the Little Liturgy of Coffee
> Hour.

My last parish but one did this as the first stage of the development of 
a social area within the church building.  When I arrived there was a 
church hall down a side road approached by a flight of steps.  Coffee 
hour was anything but a social gathering with groups of people round 
rickety card-tables around the large hall.  The hall was not really 
useful as a focus for outreach and was expensive to maintain.

I got permission to sell it (over the objections of those who admitted 
they had no more constructive views).  The back pews were taken out, 
bringing the congregation closer together, and providing a social area 
adjacent to the main road from town into the local estate.  The steel 
work for the balcony was done professionally but the rest of the work 
was done by local volunteer labour.  I left before it was completed but 
it revitalised the church which had been seen as having no future..

Roger