Church Interior Aesthetics Church Interior Aesthetics

238 Pages·2008·2.44 MB·English

Church Interior Aesthetics 1

Running head: Church Interior Aesthetics

Church Interior Aesthetics:

The Effects of Interior Aesthetics, Within a Worship Environment,

on the Attendance of an 18 to 25 Age Population

A THESIS PAPER

SUBMITED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN DESIGN

Amy Michelle Beauchamp
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research
Edmond, Oklahoma

December 5, 2008
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Valerie Settles, M.S.
Committee Chairperson
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Keith Webb, M.F.A
Committee Member
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~ickie Vanhoy Ph.D.
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Jennifer Bryan
Committee Member
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………3
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...5
List of Tables………………………………………………………………………....…………...6
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………….………….7
I.Introduction…………………………………………………….……….……………………….8
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Significance of the Study
Research Question
II. Literature Review……………………………………………………………..........................12
A Brief History of Church Architecture and Interiors
The Generation Gap
Traditional Interiors
Contemporary Interiors
The Younger Generation: Aged 18 to 25
Multi-Sensory Interiors
Lighting
Color
Church and Marketing Studies on the Population Aged 18 to 25
III. Methodology………………………………………………………………….……………...40
Preliminary Field Research
Participants
Development of Pretest Survey and Pilot Test
Development of Posttest Survey
Implementation
IV. Results……………………………………………………………………………………….45
Faith Bible Church
St. Luke’s United Methodist Traditional Service
St. Luke’s United Methodist: Life Light
Life Church
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Discussion of the Results
V. Conclusion and Recommendations…………………………………………………………..59
Limitations of the Study
Opportunities for Further Study
References…………………………………………………………………………………….....64
Glossary of terms……………………………………………………………………………......69
Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………...76
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Abstract
Protestant churches are experiencing a decline in attendance in young adults aged 18 to 25,
showing little interest in attending services yet the spiritual interests among them are high.
Historically, cultural shifts have necessitated change to church facilities such as spatial
arrangement, technologies and interior aesthetics. Some churches however, have chosen not to
make these changes to its interior design style. The purpose of this study examines the effects of
the interior aesthetics within a worship environment on the attendance of the 18 to 25 age
population. Using grounded theory, pretest-posttest survey results conclude that participants
(N=13) prefer more contemporary interiors including darker lighting, religious symbolism, close
spatial arrangement that encourages community, and the creative uses of architectural elements.
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List of Tables
Table 1 Foot Candles Lighting Levels 31
Table 2 Faith Bible: Seat Comfort 47
Table 3 Faith Bible Church: Perceived as Boring 48
Table 4 Faith Bible Church: Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave 49
Table 5 Faith Bible Church: Overall Impression 49
Table 6 Faith Bible Church: Would You Return to This Church? 50
Table 7 St. Luke’s United Methodist Traditional Service: 51
Perceived Spaciousness
Table 8 St. Luke’s United Methodist Traditional Service: 52
Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave

Table 9 St. Luke’s United Methodist Life Light Service: 54
Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave

Table 10 Life Church: Perceived Spaciousness 55
Table 11 Life Church: Perceived Busyness 56
Table 12 Life Church: Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave 57

Table 13 Life Church: Overall Impression 57
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List of Figures
Figure 1 Celtic Cross 12
Figure 2 Transept: Old Saint Peter’s Basilica 12
Figure 3 Latin Cross or Cruciform Plan 14
Figure 4 Overall Impression of the Space 43
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Introduction
Thousands have sat around the base of a hill listening to a Speaker for days at a time, not
leaving to feed themselves, while other small groups have gathered quietly in attic spaces, living
rooms, or caves in order to be able to listen to someone, fearing for their lives. For generations,
people have gathered among great cathedrals or small country churches yet still, others have
congregated in high school gyms, movie theaters, city parks, or cold and dark prison cells to
listen to the Gospel preached. Extremely ornate church interiors, to some, may “display” its
grandeur as they worship the Christ, yet Christ himself was born in a stable (Zondervan, 2008),
and lived in simplicity. Conversely, church “designs” that appear blasé, or unconcerned with
interior elements may portray no sincerity of reverence to an almighty God.
Today, Protestant church attendance is declining among younger people. One solution might
be to create worship spaces more appealing to this age group while maintaining design features
that also welcome older members of the congregation. Younger generations report that they are
drawn to dimly lit interiors, earth tones (deep color palettes such as greens, golds, and browns),
and a more mystic atmosphere that appears more spatially intimate (McLaren, 2006). They
report being less receptive however, to traditional church architectural elements such as wooden
pews, cathedral ceilings, bright interiors (i.e., color or lighting applications) and “overstated”
religious symbolism (McLaren, 2006; Badaracco-Padgett, 2005).
April Grieman, an interior designer, is quoted as saying, “Design must seduce, shape, and
perhaps more importantly, evoke an emotional response.” If interior designs can effectively
“evoke an emotional response” during a worship experience, perhaps current approaches to
church facilities should be reconsidered, in order to best attract and retain a younger generation
not wanting to attend church. A California church’s self-assessment of their facilities reflected
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that, typically, visitors (on average, eight to ten percent of people in a worship service each
Sunday) attending a church will decide within the first ten to fifteen minutes of entering the
sanctuary whether or not they want to return. Some churches may only get one chance to make a
positive first impression (Eastman, 1998, p. 2).
In the Bible (Zondervan, NIV, 2008), the book of Exodus, chapter 25, verse 8, it says,
“Make for Me [God] a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.” Later in the book of Acts,
chapter 20, verse 24, it says, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the
work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the
wonderful grace of God.” If the church building serves as a vehicle for instruction of the Gospel,
then in fact, “God is in the details” – Ludwig Meis Van der Rohe (1886-1969).
Statement of the Problem
Throughout centuries, the church building has been affected and influenced by various
factors such as country rulers, economics, building techniques and product availability, among
others. However, technology, (i.e., building materials, communication, lighting, electronics, etc.)
as it is seen and used today is like no other time in history (Crosbie, 2005). Although architects
and designers have left their mark on societies over centuries, the constant shift and additions of
cultures to communities may serve as a challenge to church growth if the building is considered
out-of-date or non-functional to the people who come through its doors (Burke & Pepper, 2003).
Although there are many dynamics within any organization, church facilities attempt to
serve the needs of a variety of people that differ demographically. Due to the diverse generations
among regular attendees or visitors to a church, the overall aesthetics may or may not appeal to
one group or the other, potentially being a reason of lowered attendance within a particular age
group. Older generations typically prefer more traditionally styled church interiors and spatial
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arrangements while younger generations prefer contemporary, concert-like aesthetics (Seasoltz,
2005; McLaren, 2006).
Many churches in the United States are seeing a rapid decline in the attendance within the
18 to 25 age population. A recent study produced by UCLA’s Higher Education Research
Institute reported that of over 14,000 students surveyed, across 136 U.S. colleges and
universities, an interest in spiritual matters was still very high although college students’ church
attendance was in decline (Christian Century, 2008). Originally, the students were given the
survey in 2004 asking questions about their spirituality. Three years later, the same students were
given the identical survey and results showed that more than half of the students attended church
services about as much as they did in high school. Forty percent, however, said they worshipped
less than they had previously (Christian Century, 2008).
While some postulate that a more contemporary “Starbucks” interior including warm earth
tones, dimmed lights, multi-media visuals, concert-like worship and little to no religious
symbolism is more effective to reach this generation, others argue a less “worldly” approach is
more effective (Hutchinson, 2008). Flooding the auditorium with natural light, using bright
colors and religious symbolism should portray who the church is and what it stands for: “light to
the world” (Hutchinson, 2008; Zondervan, 2008). Yet still, among these opinions, others state
that the interior aesthetics of a worship facility should have no impact whatsoever on the
attendance of a person, regardless of their age. The latest technologies many bring benefits
visually but some churches are curious to know the actual causes and effects of the decline in
church attendance prior to making changes to their interiors, investing potentially thousands
upon thousands of dollars in the space (McLaren, 2006).