A Seating Change – And Why It Matters

This Sunday, you’ll notice a change in our seating arrangement. The executive thought it wise to share what’s changed and why.

Each week, Ian Bowie stands at the back of the church and counts how many souls are in the room. This helps us plan for the future—whether it’s coffee and tea, Sunday school, or even parking. Most recently, it’s helped us make a decision about seating.

We’ve been growing—we’ve felt the squeeze in the car park. And we’ve heard the chatter during our time of fellowship. Last year, we averaged 185 people in attendance. This year, we’re closer to 200. With 250 seats in our hall, we are approaching the 80% capacity mark. As a leadership team, we’ve been asking, What happens when we go past that number?

We considered three options:

1. Two services – This would allow for more people but would divide our congregation, something we want to avoid for as long as possible.
   
2. Buying more chairs – Our hall could fit 400+ seats, but purchasing them now (at a cost of over R200K) would not align with our financial vision, which priorities the need for additional pastoral staff.
   
3. Reconfiguring our current seating – By making better use of the space in our hall, we’ve increased seating capacity from 250 to 300+, with room for another 60 chairs when needed. This is the best solution for now.
   

This change also brings unexpected benefits:

• More seats now face the center of the stage, helping the congregation connect with those leading the service.
  
• The slight angling of rows will encourages our corporate singing during worship.
  

I know that change can be unsettling. It’s possible that your usual seat isn’t where you expect it to be this Sunday, and I’m sorry for that. But I hope, like me, you’ll see this as a joyful sign of God’s work among us. This small adjustment is one way we get to play a part in His mission to reach Benoni with the gospel, and equip all for life.

I’ve included a photo of the seating into this email. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to speak to me or any of the executive. It’s important that we move forward together, in unity, for God’s glory.

See you Sunday! Bring a friend!