Your church lobby is the first thing people see. But it’s also one of the ignored rooms in your building. You can turn your lobby into a space that makes people stop, engage, and connect with your church better with ideas we share in this blog. Older churches with traditional construction may feel like the…
Your church lobby is the first thing people see. But it’s also one of the ignored rooms in your building. You can turn your lobby into a space that makes people stop, engage, and connect with your church better with ideas we share in this blog.
Older churches with traditional construction may feel like the lobby size limits what they can do. Still, even small spaces can be updated to encourage a sense of community and conversation. But can you renovate your church lobby on a budget?
This article will share church lobby ideas that aren’t focused on pricey renovations; instead, creativity and smart additions can help you engage your church visitors – and even encourage them to give!
Church lobbies speak to everyone entering the building and direct them to the next step. Your lobby can either encourage people to get involved by giving or volunteering, go directly to the sanctuary, tour other rooms throughout the building, or walk back outside.
It’s important how you make your parishioners feel the moment they walk through the door.
The lobby should give an overview of your church and spread God’s message with its design choices and displays.
It should also highlight ways people can help your church – any upcoming event, fundraising campaign, ways to tithe, volunteering needs, and more! If your church lobby isn’t addressing these crucial needs, it is time you considered elevating the design.
As you read the following options, decide which lobby ideas can help share your church’s message and move visitors in the right direction.
Note: As you choose church lobby ideas, use the same materials, colors, and lighting as the rest of your building. This will help create a consistent design.
Builders and designers use white and beige because they’re neutral colors. However, because of this, your lobby may feel dull and drab. It won’t hurt to add a little more life to your church!
Luckily, you don’t have to repaint your entire lobby to add some color to your church. You may be able to find a few parishioners willing and excited to share their artistic gifts.
The Catholic Church has thousands of buildings with beautiful murals that share God’s love. You probably don’t have the money to hire the next Michelangelo – but when you spread the message among your parishioners and volunteers, some of them would love to help!
You can also ask your youngest church members for their help. This step will engage and involve your community and help them connect better with your church.
If you’re thinking a kiosk is too expensive an option for your church, think again! All it takes is a tablet device to get started – you don’t need a hefty setup at your church lobby. Just put up the tablet on a table and have a staff or volunteer help people get the hang of using it.
And if you’re opting for the Donorbox Live ™ Kiosk app, you can easily add it to your Android or iOS tablet. Then, use a card reader device to pair with this app and process donations. It’s that simple to receive in-person donations!
With Donorbox Live ™ Kiosk, your church visitors can give on the go – with quick swipes, dips, or taps of their cards, smartphones, or smart watches. And unlike similar tools in the market, this app is backed by the powerful Donorbox platform, which means gift data and requested donor contact information automatically syncs with your account so that you can easily track donations and stay in touch with your supporters.
Donorbox Live™ Kiosk - Learn More!
Church attendees waiting around for their family and friends on Sunday mornings or weekday nights need something to do. Why not give them something fun to look at?
Add a church bulletin board to your lobby. With a bit of creativity, you can spread your church’s mission and God’s love, at the same time, use it as a marketing tool for your church!
Below is a list of things you can add to your church bulletin board, including –
Pro tip: Pair your bulletin board with a donation kiosk. So that when you display your upcoming campaigns or fundraising needs or events, the kiosk is sitting right next to it for people to make a donation or buy tickets. You’ll be making it easy to take an action in the right direction. Once again, the Donorbox Live ™ Kiosk app is there to make it easy for you!
Bonus – We have written an article with 25 simple and inspiring church bulletin board ideas to help make this step easier for you.
If you’re afraid a mural is too extreme, adding a wall of art to your lobby can be another excellent option. Your church and community are full of local artists who welcome the opportunity to share their talents.
You can connect personally with a few artists or add a post to your church’s social media page.
You can also create monthly themes to find new artists and keep people interested.
Church members and visitors regularly spend time in your church lobby. And since most of them don’t carry cash anymore, it’s a great idea to instead offer them an easier way to give!
Text-to-give encourages people to use their smartphones to give – a tool that they always have available at hand! And it’s even better for donations from your younger supporters.
With Donorbox Text-to-Give, you get a unique campaign ID and a texting number to share with your parishioners. Print these details on a piece of paper and paste it on a wall in your lobby. Let people text the ID to the number and receive a mobile-friendly donation page link. They can use it to complete the donation.
Donorbox Text-to-Give also makes it easy to repeat donations. All your parishioners have to do is text a keyword to the same number and confirm that they want to give again.
Look at how simply Donorbox Text-to-Give works –
Artistic talent isn’t limited to drawing and painting. Many of your church members may also be blessed with musical talents.
A simple change to your church lobby can entice these attendees to share their gifts and develop an environment of joy for all.
Adding a small performance space for planned and unplanned performances doesn’t cost much. A permanent or temporary wood floor is perfect for dance performances.
You can also store folded chairs or risers on the side for people to use. If your lobby is larger, consider including a few microphones and speakers.
Another welcome and affordable addition to your church lobby is a free and unmanned coffee station. You can set up a carafe of coffee along with some cups, sugar, and cream packets every Sunday morning.
You can also invite members who love to bake to share some goodies or purchase pre-made coffee and packaged food from local businesses.
Pro tip: Let people use your church lobby to get together and talk while they enjoy their coffee. A quiet seating area with comfortable chairs and a couch will help foster communication. This seating area can be open to everyone before, during, and after Sunday services.
Most of your visitors and members will be carrying a smartphone. When your church lobby includes a QR code to redirect them easily to your online donation page, it will be easier for them to give.
It works more as a digital church donation box – which is easier for you to collect donations and for people to give!
With Donorbox, you get a free QR code for every campaign you create. You can customize this QR code to include a different link and change the download format and size. You can then print this code to put it up on your lobby walls or add it to your Donorbox Live™ Kiosk screen as another giving option.
Donorbox donation forms meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at level AA and they are optimized to function well on all devices. This means your congregation can easily give via mobile. Our forms also include digital wallet options like Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc. to make giving via mobile faster and better for all!
Most of these church lobby ideas cater to adults. But you may find that families with young children use your lobby the most. One way to make these families feel welcome and safe is to create a play area.
You can add books, toys, and a few small climbing options for children of all ages. It’s good to place this play space in an open area; make sure you have another room for quiet conversations and reflection.
Pro tip: Create a separate nursing space for mothers. They inevitably require time and space to feel their infants at the drop of a hat. This can often happen during services. Create a private and safe space for these women in or near your lobby. This way, you can help encourage more attendance and build strong relationships with families.
Finally, does your lobby have a map?
Long-term church members may not think of needing a map. But also, you can’t assume everyone that enters your building is willing to ask for directions.
This simple yet vital addition can help people find their way and encourage them to participate in more church activities.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to upgrade your church’s lobby. A seating area, QR codes or a giving kiosk, and bulletin boards are some great church lobby ideas to engage more people and create a welcoming atmosphere for all.
Finally, church fundraising doesn’t have to be awkward. With cash-free donations, parishioners can support their church whenever and however they want – even from your lobby!
Use Donorbox to create online donation pages and forms, crowdfunding campaigns, event ticketing forms, membership campaigns, and more. Thousands of churches are boosting their donations with our simple and powerful features – you can be the next one!
Sign up for free to start fundraising now! Explore our plans on the website.
Find church fundraising blogs, nonprofit best practices, donor management tips, and more at the Donorbox Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to have us send our best resources to your inbox every month!
Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
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Kristine Ensor