For many universities, chapel services are an integral part of the college experience. Students spend dozens of hours every week in class, doing homework and studying for their next exam. Students also need some time to unwind by enjoying a quiet afternoon alone or getting together with friends. For some students, chapel attendance is an essential part of their lives, as it helps them have a closer relationship with their beliefs and learn important life instructions.
Jump to Sections:
- The Challenges of Increasing Chapel Attendance→
- 4 Ways to Increase On-Campus Chapel Attendance at Your University→
- The Benefits of Updating Your Campus Worship Space→
- Reasons to Choose the Keck Group→
Your university offers chapel services as a way to meet this need in your students’ lives. But you also know how life-changing attending chapel can be. At times, it can feel like a struggle to fill your pews and increase attendance. Take a closer look at the ways to increase church attendance for your college chapel services.
The Challenges of Increasing Chapel Attendance
Getting more of your students to attend chapel can be challenging. Consider each of these challenges to be an opportunity to adapt and find new ways to solve these issues for your students. Chapel should be accessible and welcoming, but often, other factors can get in the way. Here are some of the challenges many universities face when trying to increase chapel attendance:
- Illness: Sickness in your student body can keep people from gathering in person in your university chapel. Students need to be healthy to reach their full academic potential. Seasonal illnesses may lead students to stay in their dorms instead of going to chapel.
- Other churches: Many students attend churches in their hometown or near your university. While these churches may be doing good work in the community for your college students, you still want to provide an appealing on-campus option.
- Outdated features: Old, outdated features can cause your students to look elsewhere for their place of worship. Outdated features can include aging pews, uncomfortable cushions, a poor layout and other factors.
- A lack of exciting opportunities: Students want to feel a sense of excitement about the religious opportunities on campus. A lack of connection may cause students to do something else instead of attending chapel.
4 Ways to Increase On-Campus Chapel Attendance at Your University
Your university can overcome many of the issues that may lead to low chapel attendance numbers. Here are university chapel improvements you can make to get more students involved:
1. Encourage Student Involvement
Getting students involved with the university chapel ministry can help increase chapel attendance. Ministry opportunities can come in the form of student-led worship music, prayer groups or even making sure the sick and elderly in the community are having their needs met.
Many college students are looking for ways to volunteer and help the surrounding community. Creating leadership positions for students at your on-campus chapel offers them ways to expand their skills and improve university chapel attendance.
2. Offer Non-Religious Extracurricular Opportunities
Wholesome extracurricular events can get students connected and point them toward your university chapel as the center of it all. Hikes, day trips to an amusement park and picnics are just a few ideas for bringing students closer to attending chapel services. Students will forge relationships and make connections that can cause them to want to attend more chapel services.
3. Utilize Local Connections
It may seem hard to believe, but some students may be unaware that your university has chapel services or are unsure of what time they occur. Connect your chapel to other community organizations to raise awareness. You can post information flyers at a local coffee shop or sponsor community events. Word will spread about your university chapel, and more students may attend as a result.
4. Restore Your Chapel
Many students choose their place of worship based on first impressions. Outdated or worn furniture may not inspire chapel visitors to feel the peace they’re looking for by attending. Refinishing, repairing and properly maintaining your university’s chapel can encourage more visitors.
Create a positive first impression for students by giving your pews some tender love and care. Church pew restoration for college chapels can revive your pews’ natural character and create an inviting and impressive atmosphere for your chapel services.
The Benefits of Updating Your Campus Worship Space
There are many reasons to update your on-campus chapel. Besides increasing the attendance of your chapel services, here are some other benefits of updating your college chapel space:
- A stronger campus community: When more people attend chapel, the bond throughout your campus community will become stronger. Students will spend time with one another learning about spiritual ideas, praying for each other and experiencing a closer relationship with their beliefs. Chapel is also a great place to inspire students to achieve shared goals. This can increase the effectiveness of your college’s mission.
- More comfortable services: Your students and faculty alike deserve to feel comfortable during chapel services. Old, dilapidated pews can make an hour-long service feel twice as long. And your chapel’s appearance can influence how attendees feel about your message and your university as a whole. Refinished pews will make chapel more enjoyable for your college students.
- New possibilities: Updating your worship space can open up the door to new possibilities. You can rethink how you conduct your services thanks to the upgrades you include. You can even use the space for other purposes throughout the week, helping you make even more of an impact on your student body.
Reasons to Choose The Keck Group
When you need church pew refinishing for university worship, The Keck Group is the answer you’ve been looking for. Back in 1972, we started as a small company that refinished furniture in Warwick, New York. Since those early days, The Keck Group has grown into the top pew restoration company in the United States.
The Keck Group serves areas in the eastern United States from Maine down to Virginia and as far West as Illinois. If you’re looking for university furniture refinishing services in these areas, The Keck Group has you covered. Our restoration and refinishing services yield high-quality results and may cost less than the price of getting all new furniture for your place of worship. And when we refinish your chapel pews, you’ll find that the quality of the finish is even better than the original.
Invest in the features your university chapel already has and make them better than ever with the help of The Keck Group. We’ve restored and refinished pews in many high-profile chapels and cathedrals, so our reputation precedes us. And now, we want to share our skills and knowledge with you to breathe new life into your university chapel.
Choose The Keck Group for Your University Chapel Refinishing Needs
We invite you to experience the Keck difference for your university’s chapel upgrade project. Put our 50 years of experience to work for you — we know you’ll love the impressive results. Contact us today for more information or request a free quote online to take the next step toward the pew restoration of your dreams.
