This is a concept that I have been talking about since I first posted about Paragraph NY. While the post wasn’t about the church, a bunch of pastors talked about how they all wanted something like that to go to. My response was that you already had a place like that and all you needed was to add some wifi, a couple of comfortable chairs near plugins, and open the doors. Of course there was a lot of reason by the same people on why it could never be done.
Steve Collins is asking people to reimagine church as a public space again. A space with free wifi, good coffee, personal and spiritual resources being available, as well as a space for work, rest, and prayer. Pernell has some good thoughts on what a third space is here .
Seriously, this would work, all it needs is someone for a vision for it happening and the willingness to rethink what the church is for during the week.
Technorati Tags : third+space, church
Yeah, Jordon, the space-thing is so important and yet so simple. Why do we complicate it so much?
Seom fo the big downtown churches inVancouver are becoming like third places although they donn’t have the kind of hip cafe culture you’re talking about. But Most are open during the day for contemplation and prayer and some, like St. Andrews-Wesley United Church have jazz vespers which are very cool. They are closer to being good hangout spaces, but they aren’t quite there yet.
Truth is, anywhere downtown where one can sit for free is a good thing. THere are fewer and fewer of these kinds of spots.
I’ve been thinking about churches as third spaces as well. I work with a number of musicians and most of them play bars because that’s what is available to them as music venues.
But the number of people who want to go to bars to hear live music is relatively small. Bars aren’t great music venues for anyone under the age of 21, anyone who has to hire a babysitter for a night out on the town, anyone who has to get up at a reasonable hour the next morning, and so on.
Churches offer both performance space and are family-friendly, so they are ideal as alternative music venues.
Jordon
yes i agree – we really need this stuff – I’m trying to look into myself here in London – let’s keep thinking and praying it through – and doing it!
Ian