In order to provide increased capacity for worship, most churches will consider two options:
1.      Build a new Worship Center with a greater capacity
2.      Expand the current Worship Center to provide increased capacity.
While these are relatively obvious solutions, there are other factors and options to consider. Looking over the obvious and the not so obvious options we find:
a.      Providing a Brand New Worship Center: This can create the exact amount of seating desired. However, to accomplish this there needs to be available land and significant financial resources. It also is the option that requires the most time to implement. It normally requires municipal planning approval, which can take several months to over a year or more. If it is at a new location, it will require even greater financial resources (site construction costs as well as buildings), plus the congregation has to be led through the process of relocation. The advantage of this approach is that a Worship Center of the desired style and capacity can be created from scratch without having to work around the constraints of an existing building.
b.      Expanding the Present Worship Center: This may not always be feasible from a structural standpoint, and it may also result in awkward and less-than-optimally configured space. As an example, there may be classrooms adjacent to a Worship Center, and the proposal is to demolish the adjoining wall and add columns to open up the classrooms as “overflow seating.” By not being in the exact same space as the balance of the seating, this area may be undesirable from an acoustic standpoint and require special treatment of audio systems. Additionally, the view corridors to the platform may be obstructed by columns, requiring the use of televisions and video cameras to get good images back to where the people are sitting. A long and narrow layout may be created by blowing out a back wall, but this could result in distant views to the platform. Side walls, when broken out, may result in people having to peer through columns supporting the wall that was removed, affording only a partial view of the platform. In some instance, an expansion of the Worship Center may work well, but usually this is only in instances where expansion for this space was part of the original planning – not an afterthought.
c.      Relocate within the existing facility: This may involve the conversion of a gymnasium or a multi-purpose room, usually one that was added after the Worship Center was originally constructed, but consisting of greater square footage. The location or access to these spaces is often less-than-optimal, since they were not intended to be the main feature of the building. This option tends to be suitable only on a short-term basis. There may be some significant cost involved with a move like this within the facility. For example, a church may have to resurface floors with sports carpeting, set up a new sound system and video projection area, use stackable seating and portable platforms and deal with acoustical issues. All of these can add up to a significant amount of money. It may be hard to justify these expenses if there are plans for a new Worship Center and its accompanying expenditures. However, when you consider that this move will enable the church to continue to grow on a short term basis, it is well worth the expense. By increasing capacity and the number of people that are coming to join your vision, you are ultimately adding people that will give financially to the next, more ambitious project.
d.      Create Multiple Venues within the Church Building:  This scenario uses video cameras and feeds to bring the preaching pastor into more than one setting. For years, it has been used by churches in the form of overflow rooms; however, churches like North Coast Church in Vista, CA are using this approach to provide unique worship settings suitable to differing age groups and cultures within the church. An approach like this also enables churches to maintain a traditional service for the seniors and “builder” generation members, while at the same time, offering a cafe-type venue in another part of the building. The seniors get the traditional feel of the Worship Center and music, while a praise team (maybe an acoustic set) fills the cafe with contemporary music and the Pastor’s preaching is fed into the cafe through a video screen from the “live” preaching in the traditional service. This approach tends to be perfectly acceptable to the Gen-Xers and younger. For more information on video venues, visit North Coast Church’s link.
e.      Birth a new Church:  This option needs to be thoroughly thought out and planned so that the birth or plant can be done in strength and with vision – not simply in an effort to free up more seats at the present location.

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