What's the "Vibe" of Your Weekly Event?

Every event has a "vibe" or "feel" when you walk into it.  A vibe is "the atmosphere of a place as communicated to and felt by others".  What is the vibe of your weekly event?  It may be accidental.  It may be intentional.  It may be positive or it may be negative.

But, everyone who attends an event gets a vibe that affects their overall feel and evaluation of the event.  We cannot determine all that goes into the vibe of our event.  But, we can do somethings that affect it.

So, what are some causes of the vibe at an event?
-the size of the crowd...big or small can give either a positive or negative vibe.  Most of the time a small crowd gives a negative vibe.
-the set-up....Are the chairs haphasardly set around or does that seem to be some neatness or pattern to it?
-silence almost always gives a bad vibe!
-the immediate friendliness or lack of it gives an immediate vibe.
-lighting....is it too dark, glaring light?
-dirty or a strange odor
-students who act like they wish they were not there

So what can you do that helps develop a positive vibe?
-One or more greeters outside the door or just inside who have the outgoing gift of friendliness is a great start.  Not everyone has the gift of greeting.  Find one or two students that do.

-Be intentional in how your room is set up.  There is an order and neatness to it.  The number of chairs or seats is about right for the size crowd that is expected.  Way too many empty chairs creates a bad vibe.  It is easy to feel, "Nobody else came so why did I?".  A room can be "filled" with fewer chairs according to their spacing and arrangement.

-If your stage or front area has special lighting, is it on and adjusted?  Also, as soon as the last "amen" is said, don't turn off your stage lighting and turn on glaring lights immediately.  I see it done often and it feels weird.  To me, it is sort of like, "Shut up and leave.".

-Music playing when students come in is huge.  Many today play a mix of Christian and non-Christian music that students will recognize and enjoy. Of course, there has to be sensitivity to not playing music that is offensive.  Some even play all non-Christian music prior to the start of their event.  But, do avoid taped funeral music!!  Upbeat music brings a sense of energy.

-If your event has a band, could the instrumentalists begin playing a few minutes before the worship time starts. Or, should they simply play some following the last "amen"?

-Drinks or snacks informally available before an event often create a very positive feeling

Most likely the College Minister is not the best one to gauge the vibe.  So, ask your students about it.  Experiment a little bit with different things and see what happens.  So, what's the VIBE of your event?  Is it accidental or intentional?

Arliss Dickerson is the author of five books on college ministry available at Amazon.com for 99 cents each in eBook format.  FIXING A BROKEN COLLEGE MINISTRY is also available in paperback.