Tips and Tricks
5 Things to Know When Buying a New Church or House of Worship
If you have decided to expand your ministry and want to buy a new house of worship, here are a few pointers to consider before you begin the process: 1. Make sure you understand your borrowing strength – before you start shopping Many banks will not, as a matter of policy, lend money to churches,…
Read MoreRoofing/Ceiling
As important as it is to ensure the walls are water tight, it is equally as important to know the roof system is sturdy. Too many times, congregations will spend many tens of thousands of dollars on interior beautification, simply because they are easier projects for which to raise money than the non-glitzy roof repair.…
Read MoreWhen Not to Build
To determine how best to design their facility, I first met with the church board for four hours on a Saturday morning. Next I spent several days studying the church’s ministries, finances, and use of facilities. Finally, I felt like I had the facts I needed to draft my proposal. I met with the board…
Read MoreShould We Relocate?
Community Survey a 20-minute driving radius surrounding the church. (We can interpret a PERCEPT church demographic study for you.) Is the population increasing or decreasing? What is the percentage distribution of preschool, school age, and adults? Is there an ethnicity that you are not ministering to? Who are the prevalent adult groups you could be…
Read MoreWalk Through the Church Facility: The Fellowship Hall
What should you plan to construct? What can you afford? What is the cost difference between a sports facility and fellowship hall? Could we worship in the same facility? What functions are to be facilitated in this building? The first question to be answered is, “What functions are to be facilitated in this building?” The…
Read MoreAdministrative Offices
When designing the administrative office portion of the PraiseBuilding, it should be placed close to the main entrance area. The placement of the administrative offices should allow one to enter the PraiseBuilding to take care of administrate business without wandering throughout the complex. Additionally, by placing the offices closest to a main entrance, one can…
Read MoreKitchen
The term “Kitchen” when applied to a PraiseBuilding means specifically a room used for the preparation and cooking of food. Don’t use this term if the only use will be to make coffee for an after-service fellowship. The reason for this admonition is that a “kitchen” in buildings of assembly, come under the health and…
Read MoreWalk Through the Church Facility: The Day School
During the school week Monday through Friday there are over 600 Kindergarten Four through Grade Twelve day school students in my sample church classroom and nursery facilities. Nearly all the classrooms have school desks for the students. Most elementary classrooms have all walls covered with school lessons; some classrooms have displays hanging from the entire…
Read MoreClassrooms
The rule here is simple: Make the room as large as possible for its intended purpose. Use operable partitions to turn larger spaces into smaller ones while still retaining the flexibility to serve multiple purposes. Consider location of restrooms and whether restrooms will be “child friendly.”When considering bookshelves, toy bins and other room furnishings make…
Read MoreWalk Through the Church Facility: The Nursery Suite
When I was a baby, the nursery suite in the small-town/rural church was the pine benches in the congregational service. These benches were made of a wide and narrow pine board for the seat, and two narrow boards for the back rest. According to my mother, I could lie on the bench on my stomach…
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