Positive responses to moving the furniture
We've had a lot of positive responses to the movement of the pews. After the first mass, we heard the following:
"I think today was FABULOUS. To say I am not a gusher is an understatement, but I am gushing now, and to anyone who will listen. The vibe in the church this morning was incredible.... Talk about a positive energy. I heard the word intimate about ten times in describing the feel of the "new" church. The church actually felt full this morning.... WOW what will Christmas feel like?"
"I wanted you both to know that I thought the mass on Sunday was a great success. The church really was beautiful. Even more important, it was beautiful due to the love and effort put into transforming it by many of the members of congregation. That is quite a testament to who we really are at St. Barts.... We never in our wildest dreams thought we would find such a warm and loving group of people we now consider more like a second family. St. Barts has a wonderful group of members who are very caring and truly believe in the church's mission of being very open and inclusive of all of God's people. I know that when more and more of the community gets to know us and realizes who we are, that St. Barts will continue to grow and make even greater contributions to the community in which it serves." - three parishioners
"I can completely imagine worshiping the living God of Love in this Space" - Fr. Tom Nichol, St. John's Larchmont
"This is amazing! Intimate, glorious. The spirit will be present!" -Fr. Matthew Moretz, of Father Matthew.
We can now have a wider variety of events. We can have more effective drama. The space will seem much more open.
Parishes are often ambivalent about any change. This was our case - I knew that until the changes were made, and made well - there would be a high level of anxiety. Even the change committee was worried that the vestry wasn't on board.
But when the vestry saw the changes happening, they realized what kind of freedom we now had. They passed a resolution supporting the change. And due to the holy spirit, and a random conflict with a tenant, we were able to fund the professional buffing of the church sanctuary and floor. The work was accomplished with love and stress.
My own role was to just move forward. I didn't react to the anxieties that other people had. I thanked everyone for their input. I modified the plan when changes seemed sensible. Sometimes we moved slow, and other times, we moved quickly.