Church Furnishings for Cheap (or free!)

www.usedpews.org is a clearing house for more than just pews....all sorts of used church furnishings are on offer, including baptisteries, light fixtures, stained glass, and theatre-style seating, at prices greatly reduced from new. There are even free items! It is searchable by region as most items must be picked up. Return the favor...if your church is getting rid of furnishings be sure to offer them to another congregation. Some of the items currently on offer are above.

Energy-efficient Facilities

I prefer not to use the terms 'eco' or 'green' because they are sometimes attached to a set of philosphies to which an individual church may not ascribe. But 'energy-efficient' has no such baggage...and did you know that the EPA's 'EnergyStar' program (you know, those stickers you see on appliances) has a special program strand just for congregations?

Useful how-tos, case studies, and technical support. Resources here.

Useful place: Center for Congregations

Consider yourself lucky if you live in Indianapolis and its environs...through the generosity of the Lilly Endowment you have access to the Center for Congregations, which provides advice on everything from strategic planning to fixing the gutters to congregations within their nine county service area. Advice, conferences, training and even GRANTS!

Even if you're not in Indy, you can take advantage of their web resources, which range from church conflict to church technology and everything in between. Disappointingly, the resources on 'sacred spaces' are mostly booklists, but there are some useful articles related to church design in the 'staff writing' section.

More extensive information gleaned from their years of experience is contained in a new book, Holy Spaces: Matching Sacred Space with Mission and Message, receiving excellent editorial reviews. Here's the blurb:

"Buildings communicate. Stained glass windows, high altars, multi-purpose worship/gymnasium spaces, Plexiglas pulpits, padded pews--these and all other architectural elements say something about a congregation's theology and mission. They point to a faith community's beliefs about worship, identity, purpose, and more. From the stark simplicity of a Quaker meetinghouse to the splendor of a Romanesque Revival building, sacred spaces speak loudly. What they say can either reinforce a congregation's mission or detract from it.
Holy Places is designed to be used by congregations who are involved in or are contemplating work on their facilities. This could include renovation, remodeling, expansion, or building. No matter how extensive the project, approaching the work with mission at the forefront is the key to having a final result that strengthens the congregation's ministry. The process outlined in this book--discern, decide, do--lets congregations begin where they are and provides the help they need to move to the next level. "