5 Ways to Make Sitting in Church, More Comfortable

Going to church is a great idea. People go for many different reasons but everyone has the same thing in common- they want good, comfortable seats. The church steeple design can be anything it wants to be but the church pews are what people notice. IF people are going to be sitting down for along period of time, it’s only right to provide them with comfortable seating arrangements. Here are a few suggestions on how to make your used church pews a little more comfortable, especially if they were originally bought as second hand church pews.

Padded Seating
Most pews are simply wood which can be very uncomfortable, especially if it is starting to split. There’s something to say about changing the material of the pew all together but that would require replacing all of the pews. If you want to make them more comfortable without having to buy new pews, then you might consider padding the seats and the seat backs. You could use a leather upholstery if you want a more modern look. This would also be easier to clean. However, some people do not like the leather feeling so that might not help to make it more comfortable for them. In that case, you might want to try a softer fabric to cover the padding.

Pillows
If your pews are not that uncomfortable, you may be able to get away with just adding some throw pillows to the pews for the people that want them. Of course, you run the risk of not having enough pillows for every single person but this might actually encourage the congregation to make sure that they get there early to grab a pillow. If you completely run out and there are people who want some, you can always bring more. Keep in mind that you may have to deal with people trying to take them home. We know this as stealing but the congregation might feel that they are entitled to keep them if they pay tithes to the church. If this is the case, you can just explain to them that the pillows need to stay at the church in order to be cleaned for the following service. If someone wants to take home their seating pillow, encourage them to bring their own.

Shape and Height
The shape of the pew can really make a difference to its comfort level. Some of the older models have what is called a scrolled seat and an arched back. This means that the seat back bends inwards a little and the seating, upwards. This was thought to support the lower back and the knees as people sat, but we now know that this is just uncomfortable and makes it difficult to stand up from them. It’s possible to have the pews shaved so that they are level. You’ll just have to look into it. The height makes a difference to. You want the congregation to be able to plant their feet firmly on the floor. This will make a world of difference to the feeling in their backs and legs.

Schedule
If you cannot afford to do anything to your pews or make any changes whatsoever then you might want to consider adjusting the schedule so that people aren’t sitting down for very long. You don’t want to leave them standing for to long either but a good balance of the two is preferable. After standing for awhile during the service, people will be glad to sit down and the pews will be appreciated and probably will not feel so uncomfortable.

Upgrade to Chairs
Your church furniture should be attractive and nice, this is true. From the church steeple design to the church altar space, you want everything to be just so and that is completely understandable. However, don’t feel like you have to stick with pews just because that’s what has always been there. If you like using pews, that’s fine but sometimes it’s just time for an upgrade. If the church steeple design can be updated now and then, why not the chairs and the other things that people actually notice. Not that they don’t notice the church steeple design, it’s just the seating is more noticeable.