Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

150 THE PASSIONATE STEWARD
know (cf. p. 28) that people are much more likely to give of their
time and talent if asked. It is essential for good stewardship, and for
the future of the Church, therefore, that we address the issue of
generosity with one’s time as a matter of priority. We need to teach
the offering of time, and we need to invite it.
But it isn’t just as simple as that. The time and talent we are
asking for belongs to people with creaky bones. Without question,
an aging Church is going to have to reconsider its physical facilities.
Nor can full accessibility be limited to accommodating those
confined to wheelchairs, or using walkers and other assistive
devices, or whose mobility is compromised by bad knees, hip
replacements, or poor stamina. Full accessibility includes making
the church an open space for people with impaired vision or
hearing, too. Given that the liturgy is so highly visual and aural, we
can scarcely claim to be an accessible—let alone inclusive—
community if people can’t hear, or see, what is going on. It is
imperative that our physical facilities are not themselves an
impediment to the full participation of the People of God in the
sacramental and worship life of the Church. Only thus will we be
able to continue to engage in the mystery that is our faith.
This said, the requirement to improve accessibility in churches
portends huge capital needs. The cost of installing wheelchair ramps
or elevators, and/or removing other physical barriers, as well as
reconfiguring seating and sightlines, supplying large print hymn
books, and providing or rehabilitating public address systems and
other hearing assistance devices will be tremendous.
These needs are not confined to the worship space. Church
basements and parish halls, which have normally been the social
and program center of faith communities, also need attention. The
greatest impediment to participation in the coffee hour, bible study
and other social, educational or volunteer ministry activities may be
the number of stairs to be negotiated just to get there. As an evergrowing
proportion of the Christian community faces the physical