Few can deny the natural beauty of true wood-crafted furniture. Even if made from the same species of wood, each piece is unique, with its own fingerprint of markings. When produced properly, a quality piece of wood furniture can last for decades or longer, as long as proper care is taken throughout its life.

Cleaning

Some popular household products on the market claim to clean wood furniture, but you must be careful to avoid harsh chemicals that might hurt the wood finish. Always start small and as gentle as possible. Very slightly dampen a soft, cotton cloth and apply one drop of mild dishwashing detergent and apply it to a small, inconspicuous place on the furniture. Rinse well and immediately dry with a separate, dry cotton cloth. If the finish still looks healthy, you can try a mild solution of dish detergent and water to the entire surface. Rinse the solution and dry quickly.

For tough stains and grime, try applying mineral spirits to a cotton cloth, wipe in a circular motion until the dirt is removed, lightly rinse and dry quickly. Only use pure mineral spirits and not products that contain mineral spirits along with other ingredients.

Never use any wood product that is in an aerosol can. The silicone contained in these products will damage your wood furniture over time.

Protecting

As a natural product, wood behaves in certain ways in different environments. It expands in heat, contracts in cold, and does not thrive in harsh conditions, such as high levels of humidity. The first step in protecting your wood furniture is to keep it in an environment with consistent temperatures that are comfortable to humans and low in humidity.

 To further protect wood furniture, more effort is necessary. The application of safe waxes and polishes can help protect the furniture from changes in temperature and moisture levels. As varnished wood expands from being exposed to heat, it will eventually crack. Cracks allow moisture to settle into the wood, which can lead to further cracking, splitting and even warping. It’s recommended that you apply a reputable wood furniture wax twice a year to help protect against these conditions.

In addition to heat and moisture, bright sunlight can damage your wood furniture over time. If your wood furniture is in the path of direct sunlight on a regular basis, consider using window blinds or window coverings of a moderate to heavy thickness during these hours of the day.

These few simple steps are not time consuming and will not strain your finances, yet will help keep your wood furniture looking its best for years to come.

Paul, Apostle of Christ was released in movie theaters across the U.S. on March 23, 2018 and was available on video June 19, 2018. This story of the early church and the creation of the book of Acts stars Jim Caviezel, James Faulkner, Olivier Martinez, Joanne Whalley, and John Lynch.

National film critics’ reviews are mixed, but most Christian critics agree that this is the example for Christian movie-makers to follow.

The overall theme of the movie is somewhat dark, as it chronicles the history of the persecution of Christians. Paul is imprisoned in a dungeon-like cell by Nero and faces beatings and torture daily as he awaits his punishment to be carried out. Throughout the movie, scenes depict the treatment of Christians in this time period, including executions, sending Christians to be torn apart by wild animals, and the lighting of Roman candles – the burning of Christians in the streets of Rome as a sinister source of light.

Luke is a friend of Paul’s and a fellow apostle, and risks his life each time he sneaks into the prison to visit with Paul. Luke’s initial occupation was a physician, but as a Christian, he joined Paul and other apostles in helping to spread the message of Jesus. In Paul, Apostle of Christ, Luke pens perhaps one of the greatest books of the Bible, the book of Acts, with Paul’s help.

A central theme of the movie is the internal struggle that Paul faces – and that struggle is more real to him than the fresh wounds of regular beatings. Before Paul came to know Jesus, his name was Saul, and he was an infamous persecutor of Christians. But on the road to Damascus, Saul encountered Jesus Himself, and was struck blind. Saul committed his life to Jesus and from then on, was named Paul. But it is clear in the movie that he still struggles with the things he had done before he came to know Jesus.

The movie also focuses on two lesser-known, but vital, characters: Aquila and Priscilla. This Roman couple helps fellow Christians hide in their home, which was an extremely dangerous act in that time period in Rome. A pivotal point in the movie occurs when the lead jailer of Paul’s prison decides to take Paul up on his offer to have his friend Luke, the physician, look at the jailer’s critically ill daughter. The jailer is led to Aquila and Priscilla’s home, where Christians are in hiding. The jailer looks the other way, although he could have turned in all of the hiding Christians, along with Aquila and Priscilla.

Parental Guide: Violence is the main topic of concern for parents. The movie depicts the brutality that Christians were treated with under Roman rule. Blood is shown in various scenes throughout the movie. The word “hell” is used once.

Choosing Seating for Your Church – Weighing the Advantages of Pews and Chairs

Starting a new church or even updating your existing church is a very exciting time. Whether you are building a new church building, adding on to an existing one or simply remodeling your current sanctuary, you have some important decisions to make. You might be considering pulpits, communion tables and minister’s chairs for the pulpit area, carpet, or maybe even a new baptistery. Perhaps one of the most important furnishings you will choose for your church is sanctuary seating.

There are several options for church seating, but two of the most popular choices are pews and chairs. Both have excellent benefits, but you will need to decide which is better for your church, depending on your church’s unique needs.

Pews have been seen as old-fashioned in many new churches in recent years, but this traditional sanctuary furnishing is making a comeback in the 21^st century. Pews are extremely customizable with a lot of options. You can choose to have padding on your pews or leave them unpadded. There are numerous styles of pew ends, featuring cantilever, traditional, or colonial styles, intricate wood carvings, your choice of colors and stains, cap rails, etc.

If you choose to have your pews upholstered, you can choose your fabric and even your cushion thickness. Customizable fabrics and stains can help you better match your existing church furniture.  Additional accessories, such as communion cup holders and book racks can be added to the pew back. Because pews are often built to suit, more options might be available to your liking.

Church chairs might be customizable as well, depending on the manufacturer. Most manufacturers automatically offer chairs in a selection of certain colors, but might be able to use a custom fabric if requested. Some chairs come with built-in under seat book racks, ganging devices, and card pockets. If there are specific features that you are looking for in a chair, ask the manufacturer if it can be added. Many chair makers and distributors can have card pockets, rear pouches and book racks added during manufacturing.

An important factor to consider when choosing between pews and chairs is whether the sanctuary

space will be used for any events other than regular church services. If so, you should consider whether the type of seating you choose will be appropriate. If your church plans to host concerts or other community events, would chairs or pews be the better choice?

Another factor is the longevity of the furniture. Chairs should come with a manufacturer’s warranty, and pews might have a warranty as well. With pews, the wood can be restored after several years of wear and tear and can also be repadded and have fresh fabric placed on them. While it is possible to reupholster chairs, performing this task to 100+ chairs can be tedious and extremely time consuming.

Once you have decided between the more traditional look of pews and the contemporary look of chairs, it’s time to think about quantity. But to decide on the best quantity for your church, you must look into your state’s code for maximum occupancy. Adhering to these codes will help ensure your congregation’s safety and comfort.

In deciding on a number of pews or chairs, you must also consider your congregation’s comfort. If purchasing pews, how many people can you realistically see sitting in one pew? A common complaint of pews is the unwillingness of strangers to sit in the pews with people they do not know. In some churches, families might “claim” a pew and other members of the congregation will feel that they are not welcome to sit there. This can be an issue if space is limited.

Similarly, when chairs are used in a sanctuary, members of the congregation will often leave a seat or two in between themselves and someone that they do not know. However, when choosing a chair, you can opt for slightly smaller chairs to accommodate more people, but again, you might be sacrificing your congregation’s comfort in doing so.

Another important point to consider is whether the amount of seating you choose offers enough space to account for growth. Growth for churches is always a great thing and a goal, but if there isn’t enough seating for them, or if they are uncomfortable, those potential members might look elsewhere for their church home. This is why considering all of the available options for seating in your church is such an important decision.

Pulpits and Lecterns

Featured product article from Church Furniture Store

“And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam” (Nehemiah 8:3-4).

Walk-In Pulpit

The word “pulpit” comes from the Latin word “pulpitum”, which means a platform or staging. Pulpits are used in the church by members of the clergy for giving sermons and preaching the Word of God. In a typical Protestant church, the pulpit is placed in front of the congregation, usually on a raised platform, and any other pulpit furniture is placed around the centrally located pulpit. A communion table is generally placed in front of the pulpit and sometimes off of the raised platform. Minister’s chairs and associate pastor’s chairs are placed behind, yet away, from the pulpit.

In other types of churches, such as Catholic churches, the pulpit might be set off to one side of the raised platform in front of the congregation. In this type of set up, there might be a lectern set off to the opposite side of the raised platform. Lecterns are similar to podiums, which are speaking stands that are typically smaller and less grand in appearance than the pulpit. When lay people make presentations to the congregation, they often use the lectern instead of the podium.

The official origin of the pulpit is not known, although there is a progression that can be seen through parts of history beginning with a piece of furniture known as the ambo, which might have been a small table from which scripture was read. There is reference to a “pulpitum” by Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, within one of his letters. In this case, however, the pulpitum referred to a raised wooden platform on which clergy delivered the message, but surely played into the practice of elevating the pastor above the congregation in what is today known as the pulpit.

Church Furniture Store features many styles of pulpits, from the modest and traditional to

the intricate and grand. For a church seeking a more reserved, smaller pulpit, the Chapel

Lion of Judah Pulpit

pulpit is ideal. Measuring 35 inches wide, 16.5 inches deep and 48 inches tall, this pulpit features an adjustable bible rest, back-side storage and shelving on compact wings in a budget-friendly package.

However, if your church is looking for something with more pizzazz, we have many pulpit styles to choose from. Our Lion of Judah Pulpit features cross pattern carvings for a bolder statement. Or you might prefer the stately elegance of our #830 pulpit, which features an acrylic center which can be adorned with your choice of a customized logo or our signature three-cross emblem.

Elim Pulpit

Just like our wood pulpits, our lecterns are made by hand in our on-site woodshop. Our announcement stands are made of solid oak wood, and are available in more traditional styles or a curved style. The 720 adds a contemporary look to your sanctuary or classroom with two curved down posts that give the piece an open design.

If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for on our website, contact us to see if we can customize a piece specifically to your liking. Give us a call at 540-484-4913 or reach out to us through our website: https://www.churchfurniturestore.com/index.html

In part one of “Deconstructing a Quality Church Chair” we discussed the importance of having a strong core base like plywood to ensure that your chair will hold up under consistent use and weight pressure. Equally as important and in the same context is the chair frame. The combination of the chair core material and the chair frame are the determining factor in how much weight your church chair will be able to hold. Safety, above all other factors, is the most important baseline for a church chair. A variety of demands will be placed on any given church chair in any given sanctuary, and the seating must be adequate to accommodate any demand that is placed on it.

Because safety, quality, and chair longevity are so important to us, all of our full size church chairs feature welded, sixteen gauge, steel frames. These steel frames are finished with a hardened powder coating for a smooth and visually appealing final product. This not only guarantees they are able to handle a weight load, it also gives them a higher stacking ability. Because of this increased stacking ability, included on these steel frames are stacking buttons. Stacking buttons are impact absorbing plastic knobs located on the inside of the frame legs that extend beyond the steel framing so that, rather than steel on steel stacking, it becomes plastic button on steel stacking. This method helps to avoid frame scratches from consistent frame friction. The same friction absorbing material used for the buttons is used to form a curved cap for the feet of the chair so that there is no scratching of floors or pulling of carpet.

All of our church chair frames also include welded ganging devices on both sides of the chair that allow for chair interlocking.  These welded steel “hooks” follow a lift and lower in place pattern and accomplish two important goals: First, it creates the same seating ability as a traditional church pew because the chairs form into one extended bench that maximizes seating space and second, it creates seating that complies with the common fire codes for public gathering places. Many of our church chairs also have welded in book racks underneath the seat, or have an option to install book racks on a seat to seat premise based on need.

When you have a plywood seat and back and a well gauged, welded steel frame with stacking buttons and ganging devices, you have the core of a quality church chair.

There are many styles and options to choose from when deciding on the right church chair for your church building. While color, shape, features, and quantity are all things to consider, underlying all of those is the most important question: is it a quality built chair? In this blog series we will be “Deconstruction a Quality Church Chair” so that you will know the elements that constitute a church chair constructed with integrity for guaranteed endurance through years of use.

In this first installment we will look at the very core of a church chair; the wood base for the seat and back. Through our 20+ years in the church furniture industry we have seen many types of wood used in chair construction including particle board, pressed board, chip board, and recycled board. While a recycled board may sound like a positive thing at first, when recycled is mentioned in regards to a church chair it means that it potentially was previously used as a concrete form on a construction site. Yes, we have seen it, complete with residue concrete traces and signs of heavy former use. You may be surprised what you find when you peel away the fabric and the foam of your chairs. We’ve conversed with many churches and pastors that have shown us stacks of church chairs with broken seats and backs after only a short time of use. We have taken special note of these chairs, deconstructing them to inspect the points of weakness that made these inferior chairs. Using weak or already used wood in a church chair is nearly a promise for a short lifespan and a disappointing end result.

We have found that the half inch thick plywood that is standard in all of the church chairs we offer is far superior to any other choices on the market for reliability and durability. We care deeply about the satisfaction of our customers and the integrity of our products. We offer warranties with all of our chairs because we believe in the quality of construction and materials used to complete them. Having a strong plywood core means that your church chair has the first step covered in the construction of a quality church chair.

From grand European cathedrals, to ultra-modern buildings with a sound system rivaling that of a concert venue, to the small country church with rows of wooden pews and a single isle down the center of the building; church styles and designs have taken on many forms through the years. What determines the style of a church? There are many factors that cultivate the look and shape that a church takes on including the time in history it is built, the area in which it is built, and the people and culture it is reaching. Christianity was not legally recognized as a religion until 313 A.D. by Roman Emperor Constantine, but the earliest verified church building can be dated back to somewhere in the 240s A.D. at a location called Dura Europos which was situated along the Euphrates River, (according to Archaeology magazine).

By Botsojoy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Prior to this, churches generally met in homes or public areas where larger gatherings could be accommodated. Much of the furnishings and design of our modern day church and the churches throughout history came from the Roman Catholic Church. Pulpits, communion tables, pews, stages and more can be attributed to the season in the church after Emperor Constantine recognized Christianity and allowed for funds to be given for building purposes. These funds helped to establish church buildings and larger gathering places for church services to be held. As Christianity became an increasingly prominent and recognized religion, more and more churches were constructed and a variety of styles were adopted.

Cathedrals, parishes, basilicas and abbey churches all have their roots in interesting historical seasons and locations and each one tells a unique story. Many early American churches were built much smaller and with simpler designs than their European reflections as America was still developing. But all church buildings served a very important purpose; to provide a gathering place for the church to meet together, worship together, and be taught in unison. Today we have a beautiful mixture and

variety of church buildings ranging from Roman cathedrals with wooden pews, steeples with bells, and dark wood ornamentation over a thousand years old to converted strip malls with coffee shops, colorful church chairs, and drum sets and guitars on stage. While most churches that are built today follow a more contemporary building design, regardless of where you worship and gather together and what the building looks like, we can all appreciate the truth that has endured through every culture and style from the beginning of the church, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16, Bible).

Featured product article from Church Furniture Store

Baptism is not only a public confession of our faith, it is representative of our new birth as a Christian. We have appropriately named our most aesthetically pleasing portable baptistery after the place where Jesus was baptized – the Jordan River.

The summer months are a great time for churches to perform baptisms outside during church events and gatherings.

The Jordan Series portable baptistery is a great solution for churches looking for a less expensive or movable option for baptizing Christians.

 Smaller churches often prefer the easy mobility of portable baptisteries for indoor baptisms as well. Blue Ridge Church Furniture added the Jordan series to the portable baptistery family in 2016, and it still catches a lot of attention. This sleek and contemporary version of our Model B baptistery features a handsome espresso finish with light oak trim. It’s the only portable baptistery that we sell that automatically arrives finished and ready to use.

Just like our original Model B, the Jordan Series comes standard with a heavy-duty wheel kit for easy transport, a matching oak lid, a decorative cross to attach to the front, and entry steps that feature non-skid strips for your congregation’s safety. The steps can be stored inside of the baptistery when not in use.

Measuring 6’6” long, 35.5” wide and 38.25” high, this baptistery is the perfect size for wheeling down the sanctuary aisle or through tight spots within the church. A rear access door that opens to the drain makes emptying the tub a breeze. Simply connect a basic garden hose and open the valve and the water will drain out of the tub.

Don’t forget additional items that you might need to complement your baptistery. Do you need a baptistery heater? Would an insulated vinyl cover help? Would the protective Aqua-Seal coating be beneficial? We are happy to help find a solution to all of your church’s baptism needs.

Consistently throughout the Bible, God calls us to pray. There are numerous reasons for prayer, but the simple desire to communicate with God should drive us to our knees. In early churches, worshipers would kneel on the floor of the church or on the ground, depending on the building. However, in many instances, worshipers would demonstrate humility by lying with their face to the ground.

The ultimate position of humbleness is to lie prostrate in prayer to the Lord. Throughout the Bible, in times of crisis and need or in thanksgiving to God, worshipers would fall on their face and pray. “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:3). “And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” (Luke 5:12).

Prayer position is important in that it is an outward manifestation of what we are feeling. A common Christian prayer posture is to bow your head, whether seated or standing. But how many of us have come before God in a moment of crisis or during a stressful situation beyond our control and literally hit our knees or fell on our face before Him? Our body language echoes the woes of our hearts and shows reverence to whom we speak. This is why many churches offer kneeling furniture, even if kneeling is not part of the worship service.

Kneelers are an important staple in many church sanctuaries. Some churches – especially Catholic churches - have pews that contain built-in kneelers. These kneelers are used throughout the service during the Catholic Mass ritual. Confessional booths in Catholic churches and in some Anglican churches might also contain kneelers.

You might see altar rails with built-in kneelers in many Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist churches. Within the Catholic Church, church members can kneel and receive communion from their priest. In the Lutheran Church, altar rails are sometimes accessible to members who wish to give confession to their pastor. Altar rails are used in some Methodist churches as a means of receiving communion and during confirmation, in which congregation members seek to become members of the church after a confession of faith.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

In Matthew, Jesus describes Himself as “Meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). If this is the character of our Lord and Savior, and if we are to try to model our behavior after Him, then seeking a meek position during our prayer time, when possible, should be a goal.