Permanent Seating: This style of seating continues to dominate most church environments.  My use of the descriptive “permanent” does not denote that the seats are affixed to the facility, though that can certainly be the case.  Rather the implication is that in this type of application, the chairs rarely need to be moved.  The use of the room is quite static throughout the various programs of the church, therefore the “function” of the seating for the room is static as well.  The seating needs for the room simply do not vary.

Flexible Seating:  With the growing need for worship and other church environments to lend themselves to various applications and uses, the use of flexible seating has increased significantly over the past couple decades.  By “flexible” I mean that the seating can be used in different configurations such as in rowed auditorium style seating as well as more informal arrangements such as around tables.  These chairs tend to be less bulky and a bit lighter than permanent seating.  They also then to cost a bit less.  However, the assumption is that they’re consistently being used in the room they’re located in and not stored.  If the chairs need to be stored, rather than flexible seating, the description that applies best is transitional seating.

Transitional Seating: With many church environments today, rooms will need to be reconfigured many times during a week.  When this is the reality, seating that’s simple to handle and simple to store is important.  Some transitional seating options of today can be stored in 25% the space it takes to hold a comparable level of permanent seating.  Transitional seating tends to be very strong and will weigh far less than what permanent and flexible seating will.  While these types of chairs will be more expensive,  they can  be a wise investment over the years of use they’ll provide.

For a visual overview of these three types of church seating, check out this presentation from Save Your Church Money.

Permanent Seating:  This style of seating has become very popular over past two decades and is often referred to as “pew-style” seating.  The chairs are wide and comfortable, they fit seamlessly next to each other and they are more on the “formal” side of the spectrum.  While they are technically “portable”, their weight and size (along with the space needed for their storage) better fit the definition of permanent.

Flexible Seating:  With the growing popularity of multi-purpose areas for worship, the need for flexible seating has increased as well.  The best “flexible” seating provides close to the comfort of permanent seating, while having the ability to be used in both rows and around tables.  These chairs are a bit narrower, a little lighter, and store more easily than permanent seating.  They also cost a bit less because overall there are less raw materials needed in its construction.

Transitional Seating:  With many settings today, the room may need to be configured several times during the week.  When this is the case, seating that is easy to handle, easy to store, and very stackable becomes desirable.  Some transitional seating can be stored in a fourth of the space it would take to store a comparable amount of permanent seating.  Some models are also amazingly strong and yet weigh half of what permanent and flexible seating chairs may weigh.  These will often cost more at purchase time, but can  be a great investment when all factors are considered in the purchase.

For a visual overview of these three types of worship seating, check out this presentation from SaveYourChurchMoney.com.