Every congregation may not have the money to completely remodel their facilities, but almost any church can improve its curb appeal, experts say.
Gary Swafford, director of church planting and building services at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said curb appeal is “the visual image left in the mind of a stranger as he passes by the church facility.”
He added that nonmembers usually form their opinions of churches from the facility’s landscaping and architectural design.
Fortunately, churches of any size can boost their curb appeal rather inexpensively by improving or adding outdoor signs and landscaping, according to professionals.
In “Planning and Building Church Facilities,” Gwenn McCormick wrote, “Attractive and adequate exterior signs are an asset to a church. They should be designed to complement the architectural style of the building.”
Swafford added that signs are becoming more important in the presentation of the church. “Installing a sign that allows manually changed or computer controlled messages attracts people and informs members,” he said. “It makes visitors think that this church has leaders who are aware of changing lifestyles and are likely to meet the changing needs of today’s society.”
But Swafford noted that bad signs are worse than having no sign at all. “A sign with fading letters is usually a good indication that the people are being negligent,” he said.
Like proper signs, attractive landscaping helps bring the church facility up-to-date and shows the community that the church members care for their facility, Swafford said. “You don’t have to buy the most expensive plants, you can use what you have,” he noted. “It lets the community know that somebody cares enough to take care of the property.”
Before beginning any landscaping project, Swafford recommends that church leaders share their plans with the best landscape dealer in their area. “Many of them will offer landscaping plans in exchange for the customer’s patronage,” he said.
McCormick recommends the following to help churches choose the the right plants:
- Select slow-growing plants that require minimum trimming.
- Use plants that do well in the climate and require a minimum of special care.
- Use ground cover plantings rather than grass in small, isolated areas.
- Use masses of a few kinds of plants rather than a wide assortment.
- A mowing strip between shrubbery beds and lawn areas will reduce maintenance time.
- Properly install plant material and apply mulch to retain soil moisture and retard weed growth.
- Select plants whose natural growth form is best suited to the overall design.
- If color is desired, flowering shrubs and trees will provide it and require less care than flower beds.
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