It's a water thing. And if you ask the Rev. Alexandra Childs, it's running pretty deep.

"We are not doing lightweight immersion here," said a smiling Childs, designer of the serenity-soaked "Immerse Yourself" staging area in the plenary hall at Devos Place in Grand Rapids, Mich. By late Thursday morning, with the hours dwindling until the opening of General Synod 27, Childs' spirits were soaring.

"Part of my theory is always starting with worship; what does worship mean?" said Childs, a pastor at Alameda (Calif.) First Congregational Church. "And what does immersion mean? There are so many ways to get immersed – in water, in our work, in our faith, in our friendships. Immersion is just so much bigger than the water. You have to let people interpret it for themselves. 'ImmerseYourself' is a great hook, but you need details as well."

Details of the handpainted 25-by-42-foot canvas – which extends forward from the large main stage behind it – are abundant. It took Childs and a dozen other Bay Area volunteers just five days to produce the prominent palate. Whirls and wisps of blues and greens were brushed and broomed onto the surface. The result is a vivid interpretation of sky, mountains, lakes and rivers – including homage to the Grand River. "It was important to me to get something that honors the land we're in," said Childs of the host city.

At one point, Childs pointed out a section painted by a young paraplegic man. "He couldn't even used his hands. He just held the broom handles under his arms – and look at this."

As Childs spoke, an 8-by-8-foot immersion pool was being filled at centerstage. Just to the right, nearly 200 gallons of water recycled itself over three levels. Framing the falls on either side and in the foreground were 4 tons of Swiss stone, fieldstone and wash stone. Jon DeVries of Harder & Warner Nursery carefully put final stones into place, then began to arrange an array of plants – ivy, hostas, ferns, corkscrew rush, pink pickerelweed and dwarf papyrus. The crew of Cleveland-based Colorstone Staging & Rental worked to fine-tune final details. "They're amazing," said Childs. "They think of things we could never think of."

A visionary who often spoke with her eyes closed and hands gesturing – as if to re-create the artistic process in her mind – Childs said that when she was approached about designing the stage, she knew only that it would include an immersion pool and a waterfall. "That's basically all that I was given. I needed to get the water up and out to the people."

Along the backdrop to the left side of the stage, Childs created a "rain panel" with multi-blue-hued LED lighting and soft fabric." The LED lights really pop out and are quite cool to the touch, so they don't heat up the fabric. It doesn't draw electricity, so it's much more sustainable than regular Christmas lights, and that's really important to me."

The visual pulsing of the LED lights yields the effect of rain. The fabric's sheerness  softens the light. "Even though things aren't moving, it has a vibration that is captivating, even in your peripheral vision. When you come into the space, it captures your eye."

Childs, who said her inspiration for the design came from calligraphic paintings she saw during ceremonies at last year's Olympic Games, said this immersing opportunity is another step in the evolution of her call as "minister of the arts."

"I'm of much more use to the Wider Church doing this. So much is needed outside the walls of our brick-and-mortar buildings."

And so much of that hinges on interpretation, she said. "If you don't let people interpret, you're not trusting your congregation and your audience. You need to invite them and inspire them. And then worship does the rest."