This is actually something I'm passionate about and would like to see more conversation about.
I believe resource ministry is essential to building a thriving, thinking congregation and Christian culture as a whole. A church library can be a vital part of that if it is stewarded well and used as an effective resource ministry. The reason is that even though resources are widely available today (you can access a lot online, if you know where to look, which not everyone does), there is something to be said for having a browsable, physical set of books available to you, especially as a matter of accessibility of resources, since not everyone can afford to buy books they would like to read or find interesting.
The trick is making sure that a library is structured in such a way that it can be used effectively. Having a well-curated collection put together by knowledgeable volunteers, with prayer, and with intentional integration with other ministries is part of this; another is integrating physical resources with knowledge and promotion of digital resources, such as online books and commentaries (hello Project Gutenberg), lecture series and podcasts, audiobooks, and publications (think Christianity Today).
But making sure a library is connecting with people is important, too, which is why physical location and community engagement are key to a successful resource ministry. The library has to be in an accessible location in the church, where people spend time (in a central location or foyer, as opposed to tucked into a back corner of the church where nobody knows where it is). It has to be actively promoting quality resources, such as putting together display tables with quality titles or having a regular page in church communications to discuss and promote good books. Also, and probably most importantly, it has to be routinely engaging and building trusted relationships with the congregation. That means not just having a library, but having a library that hosts events or classes, like monthly book groups or regular nights to discuss ideas that are important to Christian culture, such as Christianity and the arts, or theology of creation as played out in vocation, or how to engage with poverty alleviation in a wise and biblically rooted way. Willingness to host the thought life of a church centers a resource ministry as trustworthy, effective, and an integral part of leading a church toward deeper thought, deeper life, and deeper Christianity.
Aesthetics matter, too. Building a library into a beautiful space that people want to spend time in, possibly including art prints from the vast history of Biblically-themed paintings that Western history has produced, and a comfortable space, with chairs, a pot of coffee, or other hospitalities that invite people to come in and spend time there, help to create an inviting space for people to want to sit in and spend time with others in. If possible, and especially if the library is open throughout the week outside of Sunday hours, provide a free WiFi connection. Provide cards with questions for conversation topics. Anything that invites and stimulates thought, imagination, conversation, community, and of course, connection to quality discipleship resources will create space for ministry and for God to provide for the people who need resources.
Sometimes even the simplest things can be effective. When I was a kid, my church library was in a central location in the children's ministry area, and every Sunday the librarians would have seasonal candy for the kids. I didn't realize I was being manipulated at the time, but the candy was an effective way to get us in the library, and my family ended up using that library a lot, for everything from Veggietales videos to The Chronicles of Narnia books, most of which I read for the first time from that library.
As a young adult with limited finances and no budget for buying books, I ended up procuring some of my most life-changing reading from the church libraries I had access to at the time, including Elizabeth Elliot's "Shadow of the Almighty" and Amy Carmichael's "Gold Cord: The Story of a Fellowship". Because of this and other experiences, I am convinced of the value of resource ministry, and God's ability to work through it effectively for the enrichment of a congregation and community. Incidentally, while church-based libraries and resource ministries are certainly the way to start, I would love to see community- and university-focused Christian library and resource initiatives as well. They have been proven effective in initiatives such as L'abri Fellowship and Chesterton House (Google them if you've never heard of them -- they're good stuff!), and I would like to see the model multiplied to cultivate a more thoughtful, in-depth Christian culture.
Posted in: Is There Still a Place for Church Libraries?
This is actually something I'm passionate about and would like to see more conversation about.
I believe resource ministry is essential to building a thriving, thinking congregation and Christian culture as a whole. A church library can be a vital part of that if it is stewarded well and used as an effective resource ministry. The reason is that even though resources are widely available today (you can access a lot online, if you know where to look, which not everyone does), there is something to be said for having a browsable, physical set of books available to you, especially as a matter of accessibility of resources, since not everyone can afford to buy books they would like to read or find interesting.
The trick is making sure that a library is structured in such a way that it can be used effectively. Having a well-curated collection put together by knowledgeable volunteers, with prayer, and with intentional integration with other ministries is part of this; another is integrating physical resources with knowledge and promotion of digital resources, such as online books and commentaries (hello Project Gutenberg), lecture series and podcasts, audiobooks, and publications (think Christianity Today).
But making sure a library is connecting with people is important, too, which is why physical location and community engagement are key to a successful resource ministry. The library has to be in an accessible location in the church, where people spend time (in a central location or foyer, as opposed to tucked into a back corner of the church where nobody knows where it is). It has to be actively promoting quality resources, such as putting together display tables with quality titles or having a regular page in church communications to discuss and promote good books. Also, and probably most importantly, it has to be routinely engaging and building trusted relationships with the congregation. That means not just having a library, but having a library that hosts events or classes, like monthly book groups or regular nights to discuss ideas that are important to Christian culture, such as Christianity and the arts, or theology of creation as played out in vocation, or how to engage with poverty alleviation in a wise and biblically rooted way. Willingness to host the thought life of a church centers a resource ministry as trustworthy, effective, and an integral part of leading a church toward deeper thought, deeper life, and deeper Christianity.
Aesthetics matter, too. Building a library into a beautiful space that people want to spend time in, possibly including art prints from the vast history of Biblically-themed paintings that Western history has produced, and a comfortable space, with chairs, a pot of coffee, or other hospitalities that invite people to come in and spend time there, help to create an inviting space for people to want to sit in and spend time with others in. If possible, and especially if the library is open throughout the week outside of Sunday hours, provide a free WiFi connection. Provide cards with questions for conversation topics. Anything that invites and stimulates thought, imagination, conversation, community, and of course, connection to quality discipleship resources will create space for ministry and for God to provide for the people who need resources.
Sometimes even the simplest things can be effective. When I was a kid, my church library was in a central location in the children's ministry area, and every Sunday the librarians would have seasonal candy for the kids. I didn't realize I was being manipulated at the time, but the candy was an effective way to get us in the library, and my family ended up using that library a lot, for everything from Veggietales videos to The Chronicles of Narnia books, most of which I read for the first time from that library.
As a young adult with limited finances and no budget for buying books, I ended up procuring some of my most life-changing reading from the church libraries I had access to at the time, including Elizabeth Elliot's "Shadow of the Almighty" and Amy Carmichael's "Gold Cord: The Story of a Fellowship". Because of this and other experiences, I am convinced of the value of resource ministry, and God's ability to work through it effectively for the enrichment of a congregation and community. Incidentally, while church-based libraries and resource ministries are certainly the way to start, I would love to see community- and university-focused Christian library and resource initiatives as well. They have been proven effective in initiatives such as L'abri Fellowship and Chesterton House (Google them if you've never heard of them -- they're good stuff!), and I would like to see the model multiplied to cultivate a more thoughtful, in-depth Christian culture.