From children Bible lessons to events that are safe for the whole family, church seems to be an intricate part of life in the United States. Various surveys show many Americans still deem religion as a significant factor to their well-being and, thus, are wiling to donate significant amounts to maintain church buildings.
The Catholic apptitude to reach the masses remains strong in North America partially because of its extravagant buildings, which include steeples. Indeed, the steeple of the church is often the most evident sign of a Catholic Christian community. What about the inside of the church, though? How can upgrading the pews lead to noticeable Catholic church differences in various communities?
Some priests choose to spend money on lavish renovations that ultimately lead congregants to place more attention on the magnificence of the temple rather than the spiritual aspect of things. The Catholic Christian definition, however, is heavily dependent on the individual’s inward experience, which should ultimately be reflected in the person’s outward showing of compassion and beauty. It may be more appropriate, then, for priests to invest in pew refurbishment and use the rest of the funds for more meaningful efforts that positively contribute to society.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of refurbishing church furniture!
Until about the mid twentieth century, it was actually common practice in Anglican, Catholic, and Presbyterian churches to rent pews in churches to families or individuals as a means or raising income for the church. Interestingly, pew rental emerged as a source of controversy in the 1840s and 1850s, especially in the Church of England, and many Anglo-Catholic parishes were founded and marketed as “Free Churches” due to their lack of pew rentals.
Today, church pews are as important to the structure of a church as church steeples. With that said, church steeple repair is often a big part of refurnishing or renovating a church. However, since church steeples are high off the ground, church pews are more often a part of refurnishing.
Gallup Polls classify roughly 40 percent of Americans nationwide as very religious, based on their statement that religion is an important part of their daily life and that they attend religious services every week or almost every week. Therefore, many churches actually make a great deal of money off contributions from patrons, and use those contributions to pay for church services or improve church furnishings.
From the 1600s through the mid 1800s, many churches’ seating arrangements were made by rank, with higher social classes sitting in pews nearest the altar. Today, people can by and large sit wherever they want, but church pews still serve the same purpose-a place to sit to get closer to God and engage in religious activities in a church. This is a great source for more.
