The journey for expanding your church facility is a long road with many unforeseen turns and obstacles. Before you start to discern whether God is leading you to start planning, you should should have a clear understanding of your baseline metrics. Answer the following questions:
- Need. Why does your church desire to relocate?
- Current Location. Where is your church located now?
- Current Facility. How many square feet in your church’s current facility? Is this the only facility that your church has? If not, please describe the other(s). Briefly describe the space (# of worship seats, number of children’s classrooms, if there are offices; if there is youth space, etc.).
- Desired Future Facility. Please describe the configuration of the desired future facility. Is this intended to be an interim facility or will it serve your church for many, many years? How large of a church does your church intend to become? Where does your church desire to relocate or expand to?
- Timing. What is the timing of your expansion project?
- Services/Attendance. How many services are conducted each week and when? What is the total attendance average per week? What is the average attendance (total attenders) for each service?
- Kids. What percentage of attenders are children?
- Real Estate. Does your church own or lease? If it owns, how much debt remains? What are the debt service payments? If your church leases, what are the monthly lease costs. What are the monthly costs to operate the property (including utilities, taxes, insurance, maintenance, janitorial, trash, snow, etc.). If your church leases, when does the lease expire?
- Income. What has been your church’s annual income over the past three years? Does this include any special income? Is there a capital campaign currently underway? How many giving units (families) gave to your church in during the past calendar or fiscal year?
- Staff. How many full-time and part-time salaried staff members are there right now? Who is the lead pastor and the executive pastor and what roles will they play in the project?
- Board, Elders or Deacons. Who is currently leading your ruling or guiding leadership (name, email, phone).
- Building Committee. Is there a committee in place for the contemplated project? If so, who will chair this committee?
- Other Key Lay Leaders. Besides Staff or volunteer lay leaders, who else will be involved with the new facility expansion as a key decision maker?
- Available Capital. How much savings is currently available for future expansion? How much income does your church expect to save over the coming 1, 2 or 3 year time periods? Other than a contemplated future capital campaign, do you have any promised resources for a future expansion/relocation project? Are there any high net worth individuals that have expressed interest in making a significant contribution for a future expansion?
- Financial Statements. Obtain your church’s Balance Sheet and Income Statements for the past 3 years and be prepared to share them with those assisting with an expansion project’s financial feasibility, capital campaign and future loan arrangements.
- Denomination. Is your church affiliated with a particular denomination? If so, have you talked with them about providing any equity or debt resources for your future project?
- Professional Involvement. Have you talked with any professionals about your contemplated project including church experienced developers, architects, contractors, real estate brokers, project managers, etc.?