location, location, location
Posted on 06. Aug, 2009 by Steve Swisher in Church Planter University, Launch, Leadership
Being the son of a realtor I have heard the phrase “location, location, location” many times. Location is a major component of planting a church. There are four things to look for in choosing a place.
1. Size, Expandability, Flexibility: The place has to be big enough to accommodate both your present and near future needs (parking, nursery, preschool, worship, etc.). When you could have as few as 35 or as many as 350 on your first Sunday, it’s quite a challenge to find a place expandable enough. Lease flexibility is also an issue. Commercial real estate leasing agreements often ask for a 3, 5, or even 10 year commitment. If you’re signing a lease that ties you to a location for 3 years, it had better be one that you can still use if you grow. If you are working with a big firm that has multiple locations/spaces for lease, ask them if you can move to a larger space at the current rates if you need to expand before your lease ends. If they say yes, get it in writing!!! Also, if you are going to sign a commercial lease, you really need to have someone whose working for your best interest looking at the leasing agreement (real estate lawyer or commercial realtor). The leasing contract that the property owner will give you are normally heavily weighted in their favor. There are a lot of things that can be negotiated. Keep in mind that every month that space stays empty, they are loosing potential income.
2. Residential Area: The location needs to be close to where people live. I have never understood why people are willing to commute 45 minutes to work, but will rarely travel more than 10 minutes to go to church. But it is what it is, and therefor being close to residential neighborhoods are important. This is
3. City Approval: This is an often overlooked factor. I have heard many horror stories about pastors that have signed a lease or worse yet, bought a building only to find out that the city will not approve the site for church use. In many cities, there isn’t a zoning label for churches. Rather the city council grants a conditional use permit for a church to meet in a location that is zoned for business, industrial, and so on. Drive around town and look for a church that meets in a strip mall or non-traditional location. Call them up and ask how the process was for them. Some cities are “church-friendly” and some aren’t. People who have gone through the process can tell you what they learned and give you great tips.
4. Drive by traffic: How visible is your location? Putting a sign out in front of where you are meeting is the cheapest form of advertising. Being able to put out a sign in a high traffic area isn’t a must, but it is such a great thing to have that it makes this list. If you end up going with a location that doesn’t have good drive-by visibility, you will need to factor in the cost of increasing your advertising budget. If you are saving $200 per month with a bad location, but then need to spend $500 on advertising, it’s not a great deal. A sign out front costs less than $100, and that’s a one time cost. Having to find new ways to let people know where you are will be an on-going expense.
5. Name Recognition: Is the place, plaza, or area that you are thinking about renting well known? Could you put “meeting at Hilltop Shopping Center” and be confident that everyone will know where that is? The better known of a location that you are at, the easier it will be to create invite cards, mailers, etc. down the road. I’ve talked with planters who are fortunate enough to be meeting at the only movie theater in their town. Their invite cards just say, “meeting at the movie theater”. They don’t need a map or anything else. Everyone knows where it is.
6. Set Up: Think about how you will set things up at each location. (Check out this other post for a check list of questions to ask about choosing a location.) What will it take each Sunday to transform this place in to a house of worship? When can you start setting up (Friday, Saturday, how early on Sunday)? Can you leave equipment there during the week? Many places will let you have a closet or back room to leave some things. This is golden. Our school let us leave the projector screens set up on the back of their stage. This saves us 15-30 minutes of set up time and the wear and tear on the screens.
7. Ambiance: Does the look and feel of the place match the look and feel of your church? Is it maintained well? Water stains and ripped carpet are hard to cover up. Where I am, we have schools that were built 50 years ago and schools that were just built last year. Newer buildings often have a much better layout and ambiance: the lights are brighter, the halls are wider, the bathrooms look cleaner, and the colors are much more welcoming. It all depends on what fits you and your church. I have a friend who planted in an old warehouse. It was just a really cool location with a lot of natural ambiance and character that fit perfectly with the culture of their church.
Conclusion: This is why schools and movie theaters are the most common place for church plants to meet. They often fulfill all of the above requirements. That’s not to say they are the best location for your church. Look around and evaluate all your options. Meet with your launch team or another experienced planter and go over all the pros and cons about each location. It’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make.
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