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By seomul Evans

 Churches go back a long way back in history. Along the way, they have under gone vast changes. The changes, in a way, depict the social changes that took place in history. The changes were based on the changing ideologies, while on the other hand the changes were depicted by the different styles of church pews that also underwent changes over the times.

Pews were non-existent in the medieval times and since then they have gradually evolved.

They were not in existent as in those times congregations were held standing. The important feature of churches in those times was their dome at the top. This was part of the centralized architectural plan of the architects of those times. The church designers usually based their plans solely on one structure or shapes like circular, polygonal or square shaped.

Gradually the pews came into existence and in the period between 1600 and 1800, when everything was about social stature, pews were also used to distinguish between the various social classes. They were a dominant feature in the church just to serve this sole purpose.

Classes of higher strata only had the opportunity to sit in the pews closest to the pulpit.

Pews were separated into groups; one for the general public and one was set-aside for the special groups of people. There was a different kind of seating order for the poor, adolescents, people deaf or hard of hearing, widows and one was also kept aside for blacks. Church pews for blacks were known as “Negro pews”. Some churches went a step ahead and had numbered Negro pews or had the pews labeled as ‘Negro’. Looking at this the social and racial discrimination in those times is clearly visible.

The next period saw a lot of slaves and churches therefore saw slave-owners buying pews for their servants and slaves. This was clear shift from the social discrimination.

The old parish system was set in the 12th century but now England was undergoing a vast change and was developing at a rapid rate with new cities like Liverpool, Birmingham, London and Manchester coming up. Several reforms came about and the old parish system collapsed in the 19th century. Inspire of all these happenings the seating arrangements in the church pews were still extremely haphazard an unorganized. Hence one could never be sure of finding pews in churches around. Even now there were no free pews for everyone. They were rented out to families or the pews were in the name of different houses, so that other than those families no one ever got to sit on the pews. The churches tried to solve this problem by arranging for pews for everyone along the galleries. But this wasn’t sufficient, especially with the now ever-growing population as it was increasing at a rate, which the churches couldn’t accommodate.

But since then church pews and churches have come a long way. The reform first began in 1930. In the period between 1840 to 1930, the private seating arrangement was banished and due to this free pews and open seating arrangements took their place. This is how the term “free church” came into being. Since 1930, there was an increasing awareness about the necessity of equality and this was especially applicable in the house of God. Along with the change in the ideologies of people in the US as well as other countries, the church also underwent change. The blacks were ceased to be discriminated again and thus this good change occurred.

In the post civil war period, most of the churches added box pews and pulpits to their furnishings. The changes at the beginning were due to theological considerations. But now, in the modern church architectural world, theological considerations find no place. Most of the significant changes took place in the post civil war era. The pulpit came to the forefront and got a position right behind the communion table. The communion table replaced the altar.

The current seating arrangement in the pews materialized from a lot of trial and error. A lot of churches experimented with the seating arrangement in order to reach, one suitable for all. At one time parishioners actually sat face to face. Church pews came into use soon after the medieval age and even then the pews were mainly for the people who really needed them, like the elderly people or informs. The development of pews started when Bishops got chairs and then pews were used for the ministers and the congregation. Now, in the modern churches, pews are used to accommodate the masses attending church.

While following the course of the church pews through history, we see that they were used as a means for discrimination between blacks and whites, between genders, between the rich and the poor. But now in the modern world, there is no place for a narrow-minded outlook. Anyone and everyone, rich or poor, black or white can use the pews and the church alike. They are all equal in the eyes of God.

Soemul Evans is a seo copywriter for a leading Church Pews manufacturer specializing in affordable Church Pews.

Contests as a Retail Marketing Strategy
By Jim ODonnell

 Contests are an excellent retail marketing tactic for generating ‘buzz’ and increasing foot traffic to a retail store. Contests are also a method by which to collect contact data from customers, to be used for direct mail and e-mail marketing campaigns.

The types of contests a retailer can plan are as limitless as his imagination. The objective of any contest should be to create the best possible incentive to get customers into the store, and to motivate them to place their contact information into the drawing box. Usually the incentive is a valuable grand prize, but can also take the form of a small gift given just for entering.

One example of a contest idea might be to ask customers to help name a mascot or character associated with the business. A retailer can create an entry form providing space for a contest entrant’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address and mascot name suggestion. If the retailer has a website, customers can enter the contest via an online entry form as well. The retailer can set dates associated with the contest such as an entry deadline, a first round selection of three finalists, and finally the date to announce the grand prize winner. The contest rules and progress can be included in all advertising and marketing campaigns within the contest timeframe, including the store’s voicemail greeting, flyers, media advertising and website.

The grand prize for this contest might be an opportunity for the winner to appear in a series of local advertisements with the mascot and to have her name and photo appear on the air, in the press, and on the website. In addition, a prize basket could be offered to the winner and to the two semi-finalists.

Another tactic to collect additional contact data and to add longevity to the event might be to conduct the contest in two parts: once the three finalists have been selected, customers can be called back into the store or to the website to vote for their favorite of the three possible choices. In addition to being a fun idea, this type of contest can create great word-of-mouth advertising and a great deal of foot traffic.

Contests with media tie-ins are particularly good traffic builders, as the reach for potential entrants is greater than usual. An example of this type of contest might involve a retail store owner inviting customers to come into the store to obtain a lottery-type ticket of numbers, in exchange for entering the contest via the entry form providing their contact information. Customers would be instructed to listen to a particular radio station at a particular time, or to purchase the local newspaper on a particular date to obtain the winning numbers drawn and compare them to her ticket. The customer holding the winning ticket is the grand prize winner.

The publication or station printing or airing your ads benefits from a tie-in contest, as it receives an increase in listeners and newspaper sales on a particular day. A radio station may provide a discounted advertising rate to motivate a retailer to direct listeners to a show in need of a ratings boost, or to a particular section of the newspaper in need of readers.

Contests are great opportunities to obtain contact information, generate foot traffic, and inspire word-of-mouth advertising for a retail store. Include a series of contests in your annual retail marketing plan.

Jim O’Donnell of Jaguar Consulting, Inc. in Kingston, NH provides marketing and business development services for small business and has developed a series of Retail Marketing Checklists designed to help small business owners achieve a higher growth and profitability. He can be reached at (603) 642-8338, JimODonnell@JaguarConsulting.com, or http://WWW.Checklists4Business.com to review all checklists that are currently available.

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How to Find Customers for a Retail Store - part 2
By wayne kiltz

 In the last article in this series, we talked about some of the hardest ways that people try to build a customer base for a store. We also talked about why these methods do not normally work well. This article will give some ways of finding new customers for a retail store that can work much better.

There are many different ways to find customers for a retail store. The traditional way is to open a store and wait for people to come. If this is not bringing you as many customers as you want however, try one or more of the ideas below.

Home parties:

Home party marketing is one of the fastest growing ways of selling products today. Your products are perfect for home parties when they are unique and hard to find. Guests at a home party will see things that they can not have any other way. When people discover the benefits, history, and meaning, of the products that you offer, they can become almost irresistible.

Festivals, flea markets, street fairs, and special events:

These are some of the most popular ways to find new customers for your store. These can be difficult if you need to close your store to display at a show like this: especially because so many of these markets are held on weekends and other times that may be busiest for your store. But you can meet hundreds of new customers this way.

The secret to marketing your store this way is to keep track of the potential new customers that you meet. Even if someone does not buy from you at the festival, they can remember you later when they are ready for something. Be sure to have handouts to leave with any visitors; and try to get as many names and addresses as possible for a mailing list of your own.

The people who you already know.

Make a list of everyone who you know. You should end up with a list of at least 100 names. If you can not think of 100 names right away, don’t worry. Keep your list with you, and add names to it for the next weeks whenever you think of someone new. Almost everyone knows more than 100 people.

Contact everyone on your list to let them know what you are doing. This is a fun job, because it is fun to stay in touch with your friends. Your friends will want to know what you are doing; and will remember this when they are talking to their friends. And each of these people knows 100 other people too, so the word of mouth advertising you can get this way is huge.

If you want to find customers for a retail store, look for the right kinds of people. Instead of looking for anyone and everyone, focus your efforts on the people who will come to your store, and who will come back to you to purchase again. You will have more customers (and more money) six months from now this way, than you will if you try to present yourself to the whole world.

Wayne Kiltz is the founder and owner of Africa Imports. You can find over 100 other articles on African art, culture, and fashion, along with African proverbs,

recipes, and African business opportunities at http://www.africaimports.com

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