Church Planting Facility Factors

When I accepted the call from the Savannah River Presbytery (PCA) to plant a church in Richmond Hill, I had no idea how much decision making would be in store. I had prepared myself in some measure with regard to how difficult it would be and how much time would factor into the equation, but there has been much I have learned in the process. After holding a Bible Study (on the book of Genesis) in our home for 6 months, the Lord had grown the group enough to begin meeting for evening worship. From the moment I came to Richmond Hill I had begun scouting out buildings that might work for the plant. One of the great problems with our situation is that there is very little commercial property in town that would suffice, either in cost or size. Beyond the cost/size issue, I had made location a priority. In a transportation society, visibility and accessibility are enormous factors. I sometime fear that ministers, especially Reformed ministers, think this is unimportant. I continue to believe that we must make our “local church,” part of the “local community.” I looked at several restaurants that might work, but finally found a Day Care that was in a great location (near the center of the city and right off the main road). The building also had enough space for us to begin public worship. I began to pray that the Lord would give us this building. About a month before we began meeting for Evening worship I called the owner of the building. We had some mutual acquaintances, and he had visited the church I was on staff at during the first 6 months of the new work. I was direct and honest about our needs. The owner donated the building cost to us as a 501 c3 non-profit organization. The Lord magnificently provided for our needs.

I recently read a series of posts that Mark Driscoll wrote concerning factors for finding a church planting facility. There are many very helpful points and suggestions in these posts. If you are a church planter or a minister trying to rent or buy a facility for your congregation you will certainly benefit from these posts. You can read the first one here, the second here, the third here, and the fourth here.