Remove the Pews: Spiritual Possibilities for Sacred Spaces

Written by Donna Schaper

Narrated by Rachel Malya Muth

“When I saw the title, I wanted to shout from the rooftop: It’s time! Donna Schaper makes a compelling case for clearing space, both architecturally and in our ministry journeys. This little book is a gift to a tired and caged-in church!”—Paul Nixon, author of Multi and I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church

Pastor Donna Schaper takes the long view of religious institutions in an age of rapid change. The question of who the Church is today—and how it employs its buildings—is connected to the Church’s past identities and future hopes. Remove the Pews offers concrete suggestions on how congregations can open their church spaces to revive their spirits.

From welcoming local dance troupes to serving undocumented persons, Schaper demonstrates how the imagination is the only limit to what church buildings mean and can do. Her meditations on community use of sacred spaces serve as a springboard for a broader examination of how the church might be renewed for the modern age. The pews are only the beginning!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pilgrim Press
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780829800258

Donna Schaper

Donna Schaper serves as Senior Minister at Judson Memorial Church in New York City. She has also served churches in Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. She is the principal in a consulting firm called Bricks Without Straw, which shows not-for-profits how to raise energy and money and capacity, and has been involved with a series of turn-around congregations and a host of social-action issues. In addition to serving as pastor, she has written several books. Donna lives in New York, New York.