A Barna briefing produced in partnership with Aspen Group
St. Paul’s Cathedral was first consecrated in AD 604 and, despite raids, fires and wars, remains an architectural masterpiece to this day. Often labeled a “must-see attraction” in London, St. Paul’s sees an average of 1.7 million visitors each year.1 It’s likely many of these individuals aren’t Christian; presumably, some have never set foot in a church building. If not because of religious affiliation, why then are so many drawn to this hallowed site? Certainly, prominence plays a role. St. Paul’s Cathedral has served as the place of worship for royalty, welcomed leaders from around the world and hosted the weddings and funerals of some of England’s most prominent figures.
However, research from the Barna series Making Space: Why Church Design Matters in Ministry—produced in partnership with Aspen Group—points to something more than intrigue—or even spirituality—as part of what draws people into a church building. The place, presence and feel of a church also play a role, whether church visitors realize this or not.
While the vast majority of churches are physically quite different than St. Paul’s Cathedral, data shows a space doesn’t need to be grand, exotic or overtly religious to feel transcendent or spiritual. A sense of peace or calm (51%)—more so than an awareness of a greater power (33%), a sense of belonging (30%), a sense of connectedness to the divine (26%) or a sense of connectedness to nature (26%)—is what U.S. adults feel makes a space spiritual or transcendent.
“Surrounded by chaos but so peaceful inside” is how one visitor described St. Paul’s Cathedral.2 In a world filled with uncertainty, imagine if this is how visitors described your church. Is there something to be learned from a visitor’s experience of Saint Paul’s?
