One Creative Process 4, Stage Design/Environment

Context is key to learning.

What context is to learning, environment is to experience.

Here's how Andy Stanley said it in his recent book, Deep & Wide: "In most communication environments, it's the presentation that determines interest, not the content."

So if we want folks to learn the gospel, to learn the teachings of Jesus, to learn to obey the things he taught, environment can serve that goal in magnificent ways.

This was one of the most creative parts of what we did at Memorial. It was sometimes a very big deal--like when we recreated the Central Perk coffee shop from the TV show Friends--and sometimes a very subtle thing--like when we simply brought the season of fall inside, using bales of hay, mums, and fabric. But it was always to create interest among the folks who chose to attend that day.

You know, there's increasing conversation about environments in church and in education circles. One of the places that has built an entire approach to church on this concept is North Point Community Church near Atlanta, GA. Andy Stanley's Deep & Wide has lots more great stuff about how essential creating an environment is. I commend that book to you highly!

There was a lot of anecdotal evidence that all of the time, effort and money was worthwhile at Memorial. First, it created interest. When people walk into church wondering what might happen, they come with a holy expectancy. Environment helps a great deal with that. 

There were also times, many times, when the setting for worship simply communicated beauty. Which reminds me of one of my favorite--and classic--definitions of worship: "Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion..."

Often, the "set design" was connected to a drama sketch. The most memorable around our town is probably when we recreated Narnia throughout the worship center. I sure wish I had pictures of that!

Sometimes it was a throw-back, like when we did a series we simply called "The Game of Life."


















Of all team members, it was this one that required the most work per series. Thankfully, I had folks on my team who loved what they got to do for God and His church, and they had a blast creating sometimes simple and sometimes complex stage designs. 

One more picture, this one from a special event that happened long after I left the church. But it was in the re-purposed worship space and shows a totally different feel. This part of what we did truly created the context for a worship encounter, it helped us have a sacred space in which the Holy Spirit was invited to do His work. I loved how God manifested His creativity through our teams through our environment!