After purchasing church property, church leaders should spend between seven to 10 months creating a good master site plan for its development, experts say.
This plan will help the church fulfill its vision and long-term goals and utilize the church property to its full potential over the years.
In “Planning and Building Church Facilities,” Gwenn McCormick wrote that many church building committees do not realize the importance of preparing a comprehensive development plan prior to constructing the first building.
“Committee members feel they have plenty of property and the location of the first building is not a critical issue,” he wrote.
Officials in LifeWay Christian Resources’ church architecture department agree.
In “The Architect’s Guide for Working with Southern Baptist Churches,” they state that “too many churches never bother to develop a realistic plan for the future.”
“They just buy a piece of property and construct a nice building in the middle of it. Later, they just ‘add on’ a few rooms as the need arises.”
Unfortunately, this type of thinking can lead to confusing circulation routes and complications in future building projects among other problems, according to church building professionals.
For instance, when church leaders see the need for a major building expansion, they may “suddenly realize that the earlier buildings have taken the prime locations and perhaps even blocked the possibility of another large building addition or the expansion of parking,” LifeWay officials noted.
To avoid these problems, McCormick advises churches to develop a master plan “when there is a clean slate: no buildings or paved parking to influence the development.”
He added, “This is the ideal time to develop a plan that makes the most of the site — a plan that magnifies the positive advantages and minimizes the negative aspects of the property.”
Likewise, Fred Underwood, an architect with Underwood Associates in Decatur, recommends that church leaders start with a well-considered plan to adequately prepare for church growth.
“It begins with a statement of intent by the church on what kind of growth they expect and how large they want to be and what their program really is in relation to the community and their own congregation,” he said.
LifeWay officials also realize the importance of extensive planning before beginning construction to figure out the best position for parking and church facilities.
“It is important that the first building, drives and parking fit into a long-range plan of development so the plan can grow and expand in an orderly and efficient way,” they wrote.
Churches that begin building without proper planning may have to tear out paving and sidewalks or demolish existing facilities to add additional buildings, according to Patrick Stout, owner and president of Stout Architecture in Birmingham.
“The master site plans sets the stage for all future developments,” he said. “The goal is to allocate space for future buildings.”
To help churches avoid such problems and get the best use of their property, McCormick offers the following advantages to developing a good master site plan:
-Involves extensive study
“Master planning brings together the complex issues that touch the mission and work of the church, the potential for development and utilization of the property, the design and construction of church buildings and the timely development of facilities to match the capability and needs of the church,” McCormick wrote.
“Wise master planning involves a professional whose training and experience give him expertise for this process.”
-Gives a pattern for development
“It (master planning) is a means for dividing the church’s dream into phases so the church can pace its development,” McCormick noted.
“The distance between present realities and future possibilities is sometimes so great the average member may be totally bewildered by the challenge,” he said. “A phased master plan bridges the distance and shows the church how to reach its goal.”
Underwood added that master site plans help churches consider their growth in advance so that the entire property will fit well with the original construction.
“My philosophy is that the most important facility of the church is the worship center where the Word of God is proclaimed and that’s where the most emphasis as far as the facilities should be placed,” Underwood said.
“Therefore, if you are doing a master plan you have got to plan for additions in a logical way so that when you get to that final glorious statement of a worship center it is the anchor of the entire facility.”
-Correlates needs and resources
“In each phase of the plan, the church must correlate needs and available resources at that particular point,” McCormick noted.
“If a church tries to provide for needs too far in advance, it will be frustrated by inadequate resources,” he said.
To avoid disappointment, churches with limited resources can build a small building during the first construction phase and construct more space as resources increase, according to Stout.
“A classic example is when Hunter Street (in Birmingham) moved from downtown to [Highway] 150,” he said.
“They had maybe 200 members so they built a small sanctuary and education center,” Stout said. “Since they experienced their tremendous growth they have built a much larger facility because they had more resources.”
-Balances needs in each phase of development
“One of the great benefits of a master plan is that it is done at a time when [church] needs can be analyzed and prioritized,” said Underwood.
“Therefore, the buildings to accommodate the needs are put in that same order.
“Then, the end result is a very logical plan that works the way it was intended to.”
-Unites mission, ministry, buildings and property
Since there is not one plan that will work for every church, a master site plan is catered to each church to help meet its specific goals, Stout noted.
“The church would evaluate the ministries that they plan to have on the site,” he said.
“Then the architect and master planner would develop the master plan based on those ministries.”
McCormick said buildings and property play a major role in solving the church’s mission and ministry needs.
“Remembering this helps keep planning priorities in line,” he wrote.
“Property and facilities are not the primary concern of the church, but are important only as they are tied effectively to mission and ministry.”
-Allows for adaptation and change
LifeWay officials believe that “the long-range plan should be left flexible enough for making needed adjustments at the proper times, or for stopping further development if the membership begins to peak or decline earlier than expected.”
Since the best plans may need to be adjusted in light of future developments, a master plan is never set in concrete, McCormick wrote.
“It must be firm enough to provide guidance and direction, yet flexible enough to allow for modification to changing conditions and circumstances,” he noted.
Share with others: