Growing Beyond Growing Pains

By William J. Mullineaux II

You know you need more space, but how are you going to get it? Here, one architect walks you through the decision between building new or making the most of the space you've got.

"We Knew that God had changed our direction," says pastor Bud Reedy of Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene, York, Penn. "We needed help in getting there quickly on a limited budget."

A pastor calls with panic in his voice. He says that his sanctuary is 80 percent full and the church no longer appears welcoming to first-timers. It is time to build a new one, says. Or maybe another pastor calls and says that his church has no place for its youth to play basketball; he needs to build an addition.

If you can picture yourself in either of these situations, would you know what the next step is? Both scenarios are opportunities to expand the existing church, but you must explore your options and master plan for church growth. It is a visionary exercise that begins and ends with a deep understanding of your church's mission and ministries. This may be the ideal time to consult a professional experienced in programming for the needs of growing churches. Programming is the critical process of understanding the current needs of a congregation and predicting those of the future. When a church experiences growth, programming enables leaders to develop a master plan by examining issues such as:

• How and when the church is being used;
• Which groups use the various spaces;
• Which sector has grown the most during the past five years; and
• The church's demographics five years into the future.

Dale R. Yoder, president of Cornerstone-Design Architects in Lancaster, Penn., says he believes that each client must be intimately involved in the design process. "It is only through probing the church's philosophy and beliefs that we provide a design solution that is not only aesthetically pleasing but efficient, functional and specifically tailored to a church's ministry," he says.

Too often, churches rush into ill-advised building programs when a better use of existing space may have solved their problems. Understanding when not to build is an excellent way to determine when new construction is the best choice. Asking questions like, Could my church meet its needs for additional space through creative scheduling? or, If the need is temporary, is there a building we can rent? can save your congregation from jumping into a new, unnecessary construction project. Exploring temporary or permanent solutions--such as reorganizing existing space, renting, remodeling or designing multi-use space--should be part of the programming process.

"This is the single largest financial investment in the life of a church," says Randall L. Horst, president of Horst Construction in Lancaster, Penn. "It affects missions, ministries and people. You must consider your choices carefully and prayerfully."

Mullineaux

In the 90s, many churches opted for maximum flexibility in the use of their building; hence the term "multi-purpose churches" was coined. These churches typically combine space for worship, fellowship and recreational activities. Sunday morning worship takes place in the same room as Saturday morning basketball games, and after the services, tables are set up and meals are served. With such flexibility, however, comes high maintenance costs. And the congregation must be willing to set up and tear down chairs, tables and sports equipment. A church often will forego stained glass windows and fine furniture for a space that can be used seven days a week in as many different ways.

Predictably, the multi-purpose approach can be wrought with compromises and is not usually a long-term solution for a growing congregation. Although such a space serves many functions, it may accommodate only one or two of them well. Typically, most congregations choose it as a stepping stone on their way to a larger church. As the congregation grows, the next phase is a dedicated sanctuary/auditorium and Sunday school classrooms, and the former multi-purpose room becomes the family life center or youth facility.

Pastor Paul Wislocky, Christian Life Assembly (Camp Hill, Penn.)

Some churches use another accommodation strategy and adapt non-traditional buildings. Churches have chosen warehouses, grocery stores and obsolete school buildings as alternatives to building, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. This is why masterful programming early on helps guide a church's vision for growth. The earlier you begin to master plan, the better your results will be. A good programmer gathers detailed information that paints a clear picture of your church's use, learning the time, location, purpose and matriculation of each group.

"By surveying the congregation, we get all of the pertinent issues on the table," says Horst project develoment director Arthur R. Schneider. "We do not plan in a vacuum." From this data, the programmer can recommend either adapting existing space or building new, using established industry standards for elements, including classroom or nursery size, and applying experience for other needs, such as worship area specifications.

Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene in York, Penn., is one example of a congregation that found creative solutions to stay within their budget but get the most out of their space. According to Pastor Bud Reedy, the need to adapt was imminent. "We knew that God had changed our direction," Reedy says. "We needed help in getting there quickly on a limited budget."

With a vision to expand their influence to reach young people in the community, the SCN leadership team sought help developing the program and building design. The requirements for the building were simple: Big, Inexpensive, Fast and Flexible. The acronym, "BIFF," was established to keep those requirements in mind.

Since Stillmeadow needed to host elementary and high school youth functions simultaneously, leaders selected a pre-engineered metal building, an approach that enabled them to get the most building for their budget and also guaranteed the shortest delivery schedules. Complete with a full-size basketball court, this space converts from two independent worship spaces to a recreational building in less than 15 minutes. Careful architectural planning ensured that the building fits the current campus of the church, aesthetically and functionally.

Christian Life Assembly in Camp Hill, Penn., relates a similar story. Leaders at this church recognized they needed to enlarge their facilities to accommodate their mission of leading people into a personal relationship with Jesus and equip them to impact the world. To accomplish this, pastor Paul Wislocky knew his congregation needed a sanctuary more than triple the size of a one seating 850, and additional classrooms would also be needed. After programming, CLA leaders realized they needed more nursery and childcare areas, a place for their drama team to worship, and production studios for their audio and video ministries, too. From here, it became apparent that as the church grew into its new sanctuary, the pastoral team would also have to grow. Identifying all of these future needs early in the programming phase saved the church dollars and time in wasted design and re-design.

The programmer should meet with the finance committee to discuss all possibilities within the church's budget, and with the building committee to manage the church facilities after construction to identify plans and costs for expenses like routine maintenance, cleaning, heating and cooling. Detailing how the church will fund the expansion and estimating operational costs are often overlooked in the excitement of architectural renderings and floor plans.

Zoning and code issues to watch for

As a church leader, you should also expect the unexpected. Unfortunately, in many areas churches are not permitted use of the land due to zoning restrictions. Check with local zoning officials to ensure you can build before proceeding with design plans. Also be prepared to submit variances and petitions if not permitted by right.

When remodeling or adding additions to your church, consider the impact of code reviews. In many areas, churches were built before the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. In some cases, depending on the size of the addition to the existing structure, your church may have to retrofit its entire building to meet current codes, potentially increasing the cost of the project so substantially that it makes the expansion project prohibitively expensive. In such cases, you may be forced to find land elsewhere and build from scratch.

Whatever expansion option brings a church closer to fulfilling its mission and serving its burgeoning congregation--renting, renovating or building--the most important contribution pastors and committees can make is to develop a plan for growth well before it is needed. After all, if your church is doing its job and fulfilling its mission, growth is inevitable.

With 24 years of experience, William J. Mullineaux II leads Horst Construction's project development staff in selling construction services for senior housing, private schools, churches and industrial and commercial buildings. Mullineaux is a worship leader for First United Methodist Church.