Refreshing our church spaces

When you walked into our lobby on Sunday you’d have noticed the change to our walls. There is a refreshing feeling in our building. Last week, we painted the lobby. And this week, the transformation continues, as we refresh the fellowship hall.

Change can sometimes feel sudden. But I want to share the story of how these pieces came together. And indicate the direction the story may continue.

The journey began with a desire for a refresh. Our building has beautiful character. But over time, different areas have developed conflicting visual identities. To help us navigate a better path forward, a member kindly brought in an interior designer in to advise. Vanessa Kramer, who works for Infinitude Design (https://infinitude.co.za), spent a great deal of time matching design concepts paint colours. Looking for a palette to honour Benoni Baptist Church’s existing architecture.

Each step of the way, our elders and deacons weighed in on the decision-making process. They carefully sought to ensure that we were unified in stewardship. And considered the design elements before a single brush touched the walls.

We ultimately settled on a strikingly beautiful, intentional palette (see palette attached):

The base colour is Greek Islands. This is a warm, creamy base. It was chosen because of how it blends with our external brickwork. And especially because it complements our interior wooden beams.

The accent colour is Indigo Dye. Behind the patchwork cross in the lobby and on the left entryway wall, you will notice a striking accent. We selected this because it is the closest match we could find to our existing brand colour. It anchors our physical space to our ministry identity.

The Lord has prompted open hearts and generosity within our fellowship to make it a reality. After the plans were approved, a member offered to cover the paint and the painter. This included lobby, walkway leading to the bathrooms, and the bathrooms. Another member purchased an additional 40L of Greek Islands paint. And also sponsored a painter to tackle the fellowship hall and Sunday school rooms. The fellowship hall has looked shoddy for quite a while now. And this unexpected provision answers a need. We are grateful for these expressions of love for the house of the Lord.

Our immediate focus is completing the fellowship hall. But the elders and deacons have already begun talking the future. In time, I hope we’ll be able to bring this coordinated colour palette to other areas of the building. Eliminating the current visual patchwork. And matching our woodwork. Creating a single, cohesive thread running through the entire building.

Thank you to everyone working hard on these projects. And to our church community for your patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm through transition!