Take a trip to the Evans Plaza shopping center in Bellevue, Washington, and you can find ballroom dancing, a rollerskating rink, and 31 flavors of ice cream. But that's not all. Smack dab in the middle of the action is a different kind of store—a storefront church: Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Bellevue.
From the church's inception, inclusiveness and accessibility were key factors in determining a location. "The church came into being as a storefront church. We wanted to be a visible, active part of the community and a storefront in the middle of the action seemed a perfect way to go," explains Sunday School superintendent, Franja Bryant.
Franja describes the church as "open and welcoming" and notes that church members have worked hard to make the Reading Room displays attractive and inviting. Both the Reading Room, which is on one end of the church space, and the church auditorium, which is on the other, open out onto a sidewalk, so passers-by can see what's going on inside. "We're really thrilled with the accessibility," says Franja. "We want people to know that we're here and that we're part of the community, and our location really helps convey that."
