There is a striking difference between the way I teach when I am in “my” space and when I am in “foreign territory.” I think about it in a similar to the way that we move and interact with the space in our own home compared to visiting someone’s home for the first or second time.
At Home you know where things are, you know the quarks of the space and you don’t have to think about some things, they are just always the way that they are in your home. But when you go and visit, you have to ask, hunt and mentally map out the space constantly. Though it might be a nice space, it is not your space.
I really feel like the same thing is true with the space where we do our teaching in ministry. When I am teaching in our Social Hall, Sanctuary or youth room I feel at home. I know the space and I know what it is going to feel like with 10 people in it and what it will feel like with 200 people in it. It is nice and it is comfortable. I know when I will need to get a microphone and when my voice will do just fine even when there are people who are hard of hearing. I know these spaces because I have invested a large amount of time in them, establishing a comfort zone so that when it is time to teach I can own the space.
There are other times, like when I officiate off site weddings, some of the other rooms of our church and when I guest speak somewhere else that I don’t feel comfortable in the space. I always try and take some time to get to know it but it doesn’t feel like home.
Owning the space where we teach and consistently do ministry is very important. Our messages will be more effective if we are confident in where we are. It is not a content thing it is a confidence thing that comes though in the smallest of ways but will put our audience at ease.
To own the space I:
- Take time to pray in the space. Typically I go into our sanctuary or youth room and have a time of scripture reading and prayer for those who would come into this space. I pray as I walk to halls and walk into the front doors. This is the perhaps the single most important thing I have put into practice. knowing that I have prayed in every seat in the sanctuary and on every couch of the student space gives me the confidence that no matter where the people are, prayer has claimed that space, that they may be receptive to the Spirit during their time with us.
- walk it and sit in the seats in the different view points
- practice speaking in the space, getting a feel for the way my voice sounds, finding my voice.
- hang out in the space, do work there and make it a part of my everyday comfort zone.
How do you go about owning your space?
3 Responses
when we were planning a new worship service, we had our meetings in the space where the service was to be (and also at the time we would be having that service) and spent half our time “working” and half our time praying, mostly for whatever it was God had in mind for the service, and whoever God would be sending. After almost years, the service is still vital, it’s brought back a number of “de-churched” persons, and new people are still coming to it…it’s the “entry point” for a lot of people in Ebenezer church.
that is awesome thanks for sharing Cynthia
“after almost 4 years…” – thanks for the affirmation, Chris.