How to Make Modern Churchgoers Most Comfortable
A Designer’s Take On the Most Functional and Attractive Seating Options On the Market

By Paulla Shetterly

A significant element in any building project budget is the finish, furnishings and equipment, or FFE. This line item is the point at which seating will be included. When making such an investment in furniture, wise stewardship dictates that it should be usable for a long time.

For upholstered seating, make sure to use breathable fabrics with a “double-rub” figure of 60,000 to 100,000. (The double-rub number indicates the durability of a fabric.) You’ll probably replace carpet before reupholstering your sanctuary seating, so choose the fabric color with that in mind. Darker, neutral tones that complement the interior finishes are the most prudent choices because they’re timeless and won’t limit your church to a particular color trend.

Some contemporary worship spaces feature gravity-lift, theater-style seats that offer easier passage between rows. Other worship centers serve as multipurpose spaces and need removable chairs. As such, storage is an important factor in chair selection. Some congregations select movable chairs vs. pews for a permanent solution to their worship center facilities, and so they can vary the seating capacity for different occasions.

Chairs manufactured for worship spaces usually have a variety of add-on features, including kneelers, envelope pockets, places for hymnal storage — even communion-cup holders! Typically, these features can be specified when buying the worship seating of your choice.

Another item to consider is how the seats will be connected to others in the same row. If you’ve ever sat next to a person who’s had just a little too much caffeine and suffers “bouncing leg syndrome,” you know it can be distracting when your seat shakes. It interrupts the worship experience and shifts your focus from the message. For this reason, consider avoiding seating mounted on a multi-seat frame.

Among the other environments and seating types to consider, large gathering areas are becoming much more important in ministry. The lobby or narthex, as well as wide corridors with alcove seating, are frequently equipped with live audio — and sometimes live video — piped in directly from the worship service. Comfortable seating can serve as a place for parishioners to hear or see the service without entering the sanctuary. Parents with small children are often the most appreciative of these spaces.

In these pre-function areas, a shallow alcove with a bench or small seating group also allows members to visit with friends before or after the worship service. Ministering to one another through encouragement, or sharing a prayer concern, is easier with intimate seating groups that offer comfort and conversational privacy out of the flow of pedestrian traffic.

Increasingly, churches have age-specific worship spaces and gathering areas. For children’s church, the chairs and furnishings should be child-scale.

Chairs might not even be needed if stadium-stepped seats are carpeted, as was done for the children’s theater at Perimeter Church in Duluth, Ga.

Youth spaces might include barstool seating for a snack bar, along with café tables and chairs, or even restaurant-style booths. Something as simple as upholstered ottomans can serve as gathering-area seating, or as a place to hold a small Bible study.

Speaking of Bible study, a variety of environments can be conducive to this activity as long as the seating is comfortable. Classrooms might use chairs on casters around a large central table — similar to a conference room — or have several round tables that accommodate four to six people apiece, with comfortable seating areas for breakout sessions.

Another environment unique to today’s church is a “green room.” This area is made available to the pastor, worship minister, guest musicians and speakers, and it features comfortable seating. Most often, a green room is located at the rear of the chancel, or backstage. For churches with more than one morning worship service, this relaxing area is a valuable amenity.

Comfort and durability are key elements when selecting effective, functional seating solutions. When this objective is achieved, a church is better equipped to welcome and reach people.

Paulla Shetterly is an associate principal at CDH Partners, Inc., in Marietta, Ga. She oversees all interior design for the firm. For more information, log on to www.cdh-partners.com or call 770.423.0016.