Move Over

If you are leasing space, find out who is leasing around you and what they plan to be doing a few years down the road.  Is it viable that their space will be available?  If you grow faster than expected, is it possible that they can assume the remaining time on your lease, and allow you to move earlier than planned?

Parked In?

Parking is probably one of the largest constraints for churches looking for existing space.   Most building code authorities will base their parking requirements on square footage of the building.  Generally, this works out to about one parking space for every 4 people in your gathering.  This may be enough space for a retail shopping center , but this usually is not enough parking for a church.

Look at your demographic, unless you have a very large family ministry and a more traditional congregation, expect your needs to be something closer to one space for every 2.5 people.  If you have a lot of singles and young adults, it is probably closer to every 2 people.  This means you will likely need twice as much parking as most architects and builders will plan for.  Wherever you go, get a count of the available parking, and consider who you may be sharing it with.

Accessibility

Consider also that everyone in your congregation will be entering together and exiting together.  When you start having multiple services, you may actually have people coming in and out at the same time.

Inside the building

Doorways are natural constriction points, as are hallways and stairs.  With 50 people, a 6-foot wide hallway may be manageable; with 300, it is not.  If you can avoid hallways and stairs altogether, that may be your best bet.  You will want as few doors as possible between the entrance and your congregation space.  If it is possible, having more than one way in or out can reduce congestion.

Consider what other ministries align with your vision.  If you would like to consider starting those before moving out,think about space to expand for those ministries.  Many churches have their ministries dictated to them by the facility they are in.  Consider your long-term ministry plans before looking for space.

Outside the building

Look at your street access.  Go by the facility at your peak use times. (Sunday morning, Saturday night, regular weeknight events)  How is access from either direction on the street?  What other developments are going in around the area?  Is traffic likely to increase?  How does that affect your access?

As your congregation grows, is there a second entrance / exit from your parking lot?  Establishing one-way parking flow will greatly increase safety and efficiency and reduce frustration before and after your worship service.

In the codes department

Typically, a church is classified as an assembly – or something comparable to it – requiring some more stringent fire protection, exit paths, etc.  If your facility wasn’t used as a church, you may have to go back through your city’s planning department to get a certificate of occupancy for a new use.  Often they will require some type of modifications before letting you use the space.

Myself, I took a ton of notes home that I will study and be applying to facility design.  Specifically, I want to think and pray a lot about that 60% that Alan talked about.  What does space for that 60% that will never attend church look like?  That 60% that is interested in God, Jesus, and Spirituality, but not the Church.  I think that has to come from a multi-use perspective.  Space that isn’t even a church primarily.  At least until the cynicism barrier is broken.  More on that later…

I understand that if you missed it, the primary sessions will be on the web at www.churchplanters.tv, starting Mar 3rd or so.  If you go visit them, set aside some time to take notes and digest and pray throgh the material.  The Holy Spirit did some amazing work there, and I’m sure He will with you too.

God Bless you guys, and BIG THANKS to the folks at Mountain Lake for their generosity!

Somewhere, someone has been through what you are going through, and successfully navigated what you are facing.

Somewhere, someone new will go through what you have already faced, and is looking for advice.

If you have a question or success story, I’d love to hear it and share it.  Your brothers and sisters can benefit from your experiences.  Email it to me or  go to the footer to  get a login if you don’t already have one.  Post your blog address, email address, whatever you are comfortable with.  Let us know where to find you and what you are about!

Design-build firms have billed themselves as the best solution for construction, rightly so, in some cases.  For church building projects though, there are some aspects of the process that are significant hindrances, and can be problematic for the church body.  Here’s why.

The design-build process is geared toward efficiency, not consensus.  If you have been in a leadership role in a church for any amount of time, you know that without unity of purpose and unity of vision, church projects can get badly out of hand and quickly mired in conflict.

Is the design-build method a bad process?

No.  In the right setting design-build is a great solution.  It is an effective way to delegate the details of building a facility so you can carry on with your business.  However, if your goal is to engage people in the process, to build into them a vision of your ministry as a church, and allow them to give input into the process and gain their buy-in; you will need control of the process.  In this respect, the design-build process has some significant drawbacks.

1)       The design-builder drives the project.  In this process, the church has only one contract and only one control point.  All of the preliminary work (site work, civil plans, architecture, etc) is contracted through the design-builder, so the design-builder retains the financial leverage on the project.  The primary source of income for the design-builder is the construction project at the end, so they have incentive to start building as quickly as possible.  This is often done at the expense of the planning that is specific to your ministry and critical to your success.

2)      The design-builder owns all of the intellectual property.  In the beginning, this may seem like a non-issue, but in the design-build process you don’t see what you get for the money you spend until you have already committed to hiring the design-builder.  The process is designed to lock you in before you see final pricing.  In this scenario, the costs are guaranteed to come back high because the design-builder knows that if you decide not to let them build the building, you must start over in the process.  The church does not own the site plans, survey, architectural plans, etc.  Not only is it a waste of time and money to start over, but also wastes goodwill from the church body.

3)      There is no oversight for the church.  In most cases the architect is contracted by the design-builder, in some cases, the architect is a direct employee.  When the architect works for the builder, the architect is no longer in a position to keep the builder accountable – which is a primary function of the architect during the construction process.  Also, because the architect and builder work together, many of the design decisions are made without your input.  You may not find out about them until sometime in the building process, at which point you will be introduced to the term “change-order”  This is why 80% of building projects finish over budget.

4)      A builder cannot take advantage of the tax advantages you have as a church.  So despite your tax-exempt status, since you are not the ‘owner’ of the project, you are still required to pay taxes on the largest purchase you will make.

What’s the alternative?

In the last few years, companies have begun to adopt what the building industry calls IPD. (Integrated project delivery)  Some firms call it team-build. Whatever it is called, this setup addresses the problems that are inherent in the design-build system, while leaving intact the advantages of the design-build over the design-bid approach.

1)      Because the planner, architect, builder, engineers, church, consultants, and anyone else you deem desirable is involved in the design process, everyone’s ideas are incorporated at the beginning.  Value-engineering is done here.

2)      All parties work directly for the church.  The project progresses on the church’s timeline, because the church is writing the checks.  There is no conflicted loyalty, and the church owns all of the resulting designs.

3)      If the church buys the materials directly, the church can save both tax and markup on the materials. This is generally 15-35% depending on your tax rate and your builder’s markup.

The drawback to this process is that it takes longer, and requires more involvement from the church.  Typically, when a pastoral team tries to take this on themselves, the ministry loses momentum.  You will need to hire a firm or an individual to manage the building process and the coordination; this is typically a church planner, consultant, or some type of project navigator.  The money you spend to coordinate that process, though, will be a small amount versus the money that the process saves.  Plus, if it is properly handled you also have a supportive and enthusiastic church body ready to launch a new ministry.

As with every good question:  It depends.

Find a real estate agent who knows your area.  The decision to rent or buy is one made where your ministry meets your local real estate market.  You should get input from an adviser with  experience in each area.

Buying a property gives you the most control of a space, but also comes with the most liability.  It is also usually the most expensive option.  Still, it is a viable option if the property can fit into a long- term plan for facilities.  For instance, if you intend to plant churches, focus on an online ministry or move to a multi-venue model, you may not need much space for growth.  Alternatively,  you may be able to convert your initial space into a new function- a food bank, or a training center, for example.  It may not be imperative that your space is located on the same campus.  You also may decide that it is a good business decision for your church to control the equity in a facility.  This gives you more leverage when you decide to buy your next facility.  When you buy a property, especially if it is an interim solution, be sure to consider how else it may be used. Consider any changes you make to the property assuming you will have to change them back to sell it.  Then weigh the costs.  Also consider the possibility of getting first right of refusal on neighboring properties, if this is part of your long-term plan.

Leasing a property gives you the most flexibility in decisions to move, but often the fewest options for renovating space.  If you can renovate, whatever money you put into the facility is generally lost.  If your ministry is expected to grow or change radically in the next few years, and you are looking for an interim solution, this is a great option.  There is also a growing movement to leave as small a “footprint” as possible.  Because rental space is often cheaper than purchased space, more of your income can be spent on ministry.

Leasing is also a great option (and sometimes your only option) in an urban setting where your ministry is focused on an area that has been developed for a while.  The hardest part about this as an interim solution is determining the length of the lease.  The owner will almost always push for a longer term lease.  There are too many churches at capacity of the facility and ready to move but stuck with three years left on their lease.

Adding a buyout clause to your lease is an option if you want to take advantage of the lower cost of leasing, but you would buy the property if it were possible.  This is just an agreement to a purchase at a future date.  In this scenario you lose the option to relocate, but not any improvements made to the facility.  Consider this just as you would a property purchase.

Next Page:

Know your Vision.

Sounds simple, right?  Before considering what kind of space your ministry needs, you will need to review the vision of your ministry.  What is its focus?  Service demographic?  Missional calling?  Growth expectations?  Many churches do not realize the constraint that a facility can place on the ministry.  When is it accessible?  What functions can it perform? How big should it be?  How should space be divided up? What should it look like? How should it flow? How much parking should it have?  Too often ‘what can I afford?’ is the sole decider.  While important, if it is the only decider, that decision can stifle your ministry.

There is a myriad of questions that all point back to your ministry vision and goals, and if you aren’t intentional about letting your ministry define your space, your space will define your ministry.   Defining your vision and goals will take some time, and often bringing in an outside viewpoint to ask some of these questions allows you to expose and challenge assumptions that you have made without even realizing it. This is a process that will set your ministry down its life-path.  So fight the urge to rush it or skip it.  You need to develop a far-reaching strategy that encompasses not only your ministry plan and your facilities plan, but also a financial plan as well.

If you haven’t explored these points in detail, consider getting some information on master planning.

Now, let’s assume you have defined these things.  There are still some practical considerations that you will want to address when looking for space.

Next page: Rent vs Buy

What is your ministry plan?
What is your financial plan?
What is your facilities plan?

We can help with these elements that need to be well-established before your next facility move in order to launch a successful ministry long-term. The good news is that this analysis is all included in the master planning /design process you’re going to have to do anyway, so lean on our experience- we will guide you through the process of designing your ministry space.

You need a planning ministry that understands your  needs as a church plant, willing to move at your pace, and who stays flexible, but dedicated to the development of your ministry.

Learn how the Teambuild approach can save you money and time over a traditional Design-Build project and set you up for continued success.