The Four Key Spaces

The Four Key Spaces

By: Tom Bandy

Many church leaders feel the need to evaluate their facilities, but don’t know where to start. Here is where you start. Understand effective church facilities should fit the core process of the church.

Traditional established churches rely on a core process of membership assimilation … and therefore their buildings are designed to separate the kids from the adults, impose uniformity of behavior, provide meeting rooms, and centralize access to the office in order to reach the staff.

Growing churches to day rely on a core process of disciple making … and therefore their buildings are designed to allow kids and adults to mingle, provide multiple options for behavior, provide intimate conversation areas, and provide do-it-yourself work areas with access to technology.

The four key spaces around which everything else rotates encourages the larger disciple making process. All four spaces should be immediately proximate to each other, with no intervening stairways or long corridors.

a) A high quality, secure, nursery that separates infants and toddlers, on the main floor with natural light and independent sources of water;

b) A flexible worship center, with moveable chancel and furniture, up to date indigenous technologies, and plenty of electrical outlets;

c) A large food court or gathering area, with multiple serving stations and combinations of seating, and plenty of room for displays advertising missions and ministries;

d) A church office that looks more like “Kinkos” … in which people can access equipment and receive coaching on how to use it for themselves.

All other space will be added to this “hub” of activity as the various ministries of the church require.