** A guest post courtesy of Teeni from The Vaguetarian Tea Room
Disclaimer – this is NOT a religious post.
My husband and I sometimes look through the real estate magazines when we are happily munching away on our vegan grinders at the local sub shop. Recently, I saw not just one, but two churches for sale for a reasonable amount of money in a nearby town. Immediately my mind went into overdrive with all the creative possibilities that could be derived from such buildings.
One of the churches was advertised as having a large fellowship hall with a large kitchen on the first floor and seven bedrooms on the second floor. In addition, it had three half-baths. Although I’m not a good church-going person, I do however, appreciate the architecture of a church building, specifically for all the non-churchy things I could do with it.
Seriously, think of all the cool things you could do with all that space! I told my husband we could figure on at least two of the half-baths being back to back, most likely a Men’s room and a Women’s room, which we could join as one huge bathroom and install a jacuzzi tub or a hot tub if it was big enough. With the huge kitchen in the fellowship hall, we could have all the family over for family reunions with big pot luck meals. Everyone could stay over with all the bedrooms we would have upstairs. The parking lot would be big enough for a basketball court/tennis court not to mention all the parking that would be available for functions.
Our two cats would love all this new indoor room to play in. We could build two story high scratching posts for them, with little platforms going around the upper part of the larger rooms. I’m sure they would appreciate the bell tower too with all the bird watching they could do up there. I know they would do their part to keep out any church mice.
For the actual church building, I had some really cool plans. I would take out most of the pews and install an indoor track along the outside of the whole larger part of the room. This would be for rollerblading or running so there would be no bad weather excuse for not exercising! I think the stained glass windows would already add some atmosphere so all I’d have to do is add a little disco ball or some strobe lights and we would have the “party” room. Might have to replace any old pipe organs with a more recent stereo system though. No problem.
I’m sure that since it is no longer a church that the proper officials have been called in to “un-holify” the place in a separate ceremony so that you wouldn’t have to worry about curtsying everytime you rollerbladed by the front part of the church. All the kids in the family could use the pulpit to put on little plays. I would put the font (the thing that holds water for baptisms) in the back lawn as a bird bath. I could put most of the pews outside for outdoor projector movies or slideshows. Seriously, how much more fun could we have with this place?
To sum it up, I figured we would live for the most part in the fellowship hall area and use the church building more as the fun party room that we could close off when not in use. Hubby has other ideas though. He had totally different ideas for the uses of the buildings. He would of course want a large screen television in the church area, for example, and thought the total opposite from me as far as the living arrangements and fun areas.
And since we have not yet come to any agreements on how best to use our new home, we have not purchased it.
**sigh**
But it IS fun to think about. What would you do with your own church? 🙂
Would you keep the offering box for visitors to your home? 😉
[rq=48625,0,blog][/rq]Hammer Time!
FYI – Your comment may be held in moderation if you have not commented here in the past. But don’t let that stop you!
~Teeni
[rq=48680,0,blog][/rq]My Own Church
I am afraid I would not be nearly as creative if we bought a church but it’s a fabulous idea. And then I can come visit, right? 🙂
I once lived in a place that had a church door on the bathroom. Made the occasions seem holy, as in holy shit!
[rq=48719,0,blog][/rq]More Ask Witchypoo
I love the idea of a cinema in a church…bit like in the Gilmore Girls in Stars Hollow. Love your ideas Teeni.
Hope Talina has some news soon!
If you ever buy that church, I so want to come visit you! I mean, really? You toatlly made me want to go out and buy one for myself! My kids and cats would love to live in one! And hell (opps, can I say that word in a church? What about god dammit?) I would love it there as well! Hmmm? Wonder what the cooling bill would run me? I live in AZ, so I know it wont be cheap.
Love this post!
[rq=50236,0,blog][/rq]An Award.
If I had my own church, I would make pots and pots of money of course. And with that money buy up both the churches that you saw advertised, and install all the goodies that you suggested.
[rq=50915,0,blog][/rq]Love And Passion
everytime i see an old church, i think of what a cool place to live it would be.
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hahahaha
The mind boggles………. only I don’t genuflect at church now so am hardly likely to if I’m skating past the front in a decomissioned one lmao
here from Teeni’s blog
[rq=51797,0,blog][/rq]Simple Pleasures Sunday
dcr – hmmm. Sure – I’d keep the box, you know, to help with “restorations” of the church. 😉
Kami – of course! I’d love to save, I mean SEE, your soul at my church, I mean HOME!
Witchypoo – LOL! Interesting use for a church door, indeed!
Magikquilter – I’ve never watched the Gilmore Girls (hangs head in shame) but probably will catch it on DVD or on the internet someday – did they live in a converted church? Too cool! Thanks for the good wishes to my friend. 🙂
Krystal – Yeah, I didn’t think about that but air conditioning costs probably would be high in AZ. I’m in Massachusetts though so the heating would probably be a big hit for me. And all would be welcome at my church so you could definitely visit! 🙂
Rummy – LOL! A man after my own heart. I think there are endless numbers of cool things that could be done in such a building.
Diva – Me too! As a matter of fact, TGH and I did look at one before we bought the house we are in now.
Mistress B – Glad you caught that part. I cracked myself up when I wrote about skating past the front of the church too. LOL. 🙂
[rq=53796,0,blog][/rq]My Own Church
I think I would turn it into a resturaunt. Any have garden parties in the back.
[rq=54385,0,blog][/rq]Money Matters: Get Paid To Travel- Diving Instructor
I love the rollerblading derby idea…
I love it when old churches are ‘adapted’ – I have a fave out in the country of SE Nebraska that is now a pottery studio – it’s so awesome, now I need to go back and take photos so I can share.
“which we could join as one huge bathroom and install a jacuzzi tub or a hot tub”
Now that’s the kind of church Id like to visit!
Debo – A restaurant is another great idea! Good one!
CuriousC – I’d love to see photos!
Meleah – LOL! A nice big bathroom is a luxury to me! The one I have now you can barely turn around in without bumping into yourself!
.-= teeni´s last blog ..My Own Church =-.