Watching the Footpaths

When I began college my alma mater had just put up a new academic building.  When being given a tour the guide noted that the sidewalks would not be put in until the following year.  When asked why this was so he responded, "Because they want to wait and see where the footpaths appear because that will show how people are getting to and from the building."

That insight is helpful for the Church as well, is it not?  There are always people coming and going from church life.  How do you keep an eye on how people are entering or exiting your church life?  

Also, it is interesting that rather than force a behavior on people (i.e. putting sidewalks in and forcing people to travel in perhaps awkward ways) it is better to build what you're called to build and then look at how people get in and out of it before making any further improvements or additions.

 

Comments

[UrbanNomadUSA]

And that is why Broadway runs diagonally through the grid of Manhattan - it was the old Native American footpath that made sense. How many organizations need to do more of this type of listening and less telling? Thanks Chris!

[A Facebook User]

I always wished the U of M had used this philosophy with the Mall on the East Bank Campus. Those squares of grass are beautiful, but I remember every year there were always mud paths tracked diagonally across them because it's the shortest distance between buildings. Every year they put up orange snow fences to try to stop people, but they trample right over them. Diamonds of grass would have been just as pretty...

I love your analogy about how this applies to the church! And maybe we could learn something from the U's experience as well - The easier you can make it for people to enter (and exit), the better it will be for everyone. And maybe by changing one small thing it will improve access in huge ways.