Imagine you were visiting your church for the first time. Would you be impressed with how organized the entrance hall is, or would you be discouraged by the ancient-looking furniture in the foyer? Although we hate to admit it, people make snap judgments—and these judgments tend to last.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about church foyer decor, including five essentials, and five tricks to create the best overall experience.
Why Does Church Foyer Design Matter?
The decor you use in your church foyer might not seem like the most important thing to focus on, but first impressions are everything. Think about it—a foyer layout could be so bad that a potential newcomer doesn’t even step through the doors! While we hope yours isn’t that unappealing, the importance of entranceways can’t be understated.
As you enter a new building, how your space is laid out makes a difference. Busy, cluttered areas can make us feel anxious and on edge. Organized, roomy spaces, on the other hand, can encourage feelings of calm and ease.
In one way, think of your foyer as a pathway from the troubles of daily life and into the peace of Jesus Christ offered in the gospel during your sermon, and have a read of these church foyer welcome center ideas for inspiration.
5 Key Elements of an Impressive Church Foyer
1. Signs
Arguably one of the most important elements of an effective church foyer is how obvious it is. Many churches have confusing entranceways, which can deter newcomers from ever trying out your ministry–let alone making their way to your kids ministry. Clear signposts to your parking lot, entrance foyer, Sunday school, and main service are essential.
2. Space
A church foyer should be a welcoming space for people to settle into their time at your church. There needs to be sufficient space so that people don’t feel uncomfortable or overcrowded while filtering in. Avoid bottlenecks in smaller foyers by having church volunteers stationed at various points to encourage people to move through into the other rooms.
3. Seating
Next, consider where people can sit in your foyer. Depending on the size of your space, you might not want to encourage people to congregate in the entrance hall. But a seat or two is a must-have for those who struggle to stand for prolonged periods. Add as much modern seating as possible (without overcrowding your space) to encourage your community to build connections through conversation.
4. Screens
Adding digital elements to your church will make it more appealing, relatable, and modern. Replace your old bulletin boards with an eye-catching modernized version and install a church digital signage solution in your foyer. You can set it up to display recent news from your churchgoers, updates about events, or a special weekly sermon.
5. Smiles
As your church foyer is the first point of call for anyone visiting your church, making a good impression is a must. Create a ‘welcome team’ whose members can ensure all your attendees feel comfortable and looked after—not just those who already know their way around. Highlight the importance of a warm, welcoming smile to make people feel at home.
If your church ticks those five central S’s, it’s time to get creative with your foyer displays. Let the soul of your ministry shine through your church foyer ideas, and give all your visitors a taste of what your church is about.
5 Simple Ways to Spruce Up Your Foyer Space
1. Fresh Paint
It may sound obvious, but a fresh lick of paint can do wonders for a run-down space. Most churches lean towards light, airy colors that create a neutral space.
2. Good Lighting
A dark and dingy entranceway won’t give the best impression to your church. So let there be light, and install warm and welcoming lighting to help people feel at home at your church. Working with a tighter spot? Small church foyer design ideas often start with lighting, as it expands the feel of the space.
3. Sleek Signage
Don’t leave anything down to imagination—label everything and anything visitors might need with clear, concise signs. From the free water and coffee to kids’ ministry registration, display everything your church members might need in an obvious way.
4. Engaging Media
Use your church digital signage to showcase your church while encouraging interaction. Popular methods are to include recent photos and videos in a slideshow format and display your church’s recent social media posts. Remember to include your handle to get some replies!
5. Vinyl Wall Decals
This is a great larger church foyer idea: The Simple Stencil creates incredible Christian-based wall decals to add a creative touch to your wall displays. Choose your favorite Bible quote and transform your boring plain wall into an inspirational feature wall that will get people talking.
Invest In Your Foyer Space
Small church foyer ideas have something in common with larger-scale plans — it’s all about how well you lay your space out. Don’t overdo it, but try to create a balance between creative artistic elements and practicality.