Here’s a scenario that I observe play out time and time again as churches purchase worship seating.   The church appoints a staff member or a committee to investigate worship seating options.  A quick web search connects them to a variety of seating manufacturers and dealers.  There may also be someone from within the church who sells chairs through an office supply type store.  But with a few phone calls, sample church  chairs arrive for the church to try out.  The chairs are lined up in a lobby area or office, and people are encouraged to “try them out”.  And over a period of time, feedback is acquired from a variety of people as to which church chair they like the best.  Most often, that becomes the chair the church purchases for their worship seating.

Sounds like a very reasonable process doesn’t it?  Multiple samples are evaluated and multiple people do the evaluating.  How could such a process lead to a church being unhappy with their worship seating choice?

Well, here’s what happens next in this common scenario.  The church orders their choice of worship seating and eventually they’re delivered and set in place.  Everyone’s excited to have new church seating!  But one big difference now exists!  People now sit on these chairs for 60 minutes or more, versus try them out for 60 seconds or less!

The Church Furniture Partner always encouraged churches to insist on a 60 minute test instead of a 60 second test.  Have various staff members or church attendees replace their desk chairs with different sample chairs for an hour or more at at time.  Maybe ask different people to use the sample chairs in place of the current worship seating on Sunday.  And then value such feedback from a 60 minute test at a far higher level than feedback from the far too common 60 second test.  Unless you have a 60 second worship service, the wisdom of a 60 minute test will definitely increase the likelihood of your church being happy with their new church furniture purchase!