We hesitated to include this page, since it should go without saying, but just to prove that we have a firm grasp on the obvious, here it is. If you’re planning a new church or relocating, just figure out where the people live, work and play that you want to reach. Locate yourself within easy access to these places. 

In addition to being near your catchment area geographically, the building should also reflect your target outreach group. For instance, if your target is Gen-Xers you will do fine with a warehouse, old cinema, or shopping center located in an area they frequent. Avoid a traditional-style church building that comes up for sale, bearing in mind what Elmer Towns has said about the “stained glass barrier.” Conversely, if you are ministering to the Builder and Boomer generations, they will be more reluctant to go into an Office park or a warehouse for Sunday morning worship. The key is picking a geographic area that is within easy access of your target market, and a specific location or building that is reflective of their values. 

Another situation that sometimes occurs is that a church has been located in a particular area for years and the area around it has changed, no longer reflecting the types of people that the church has traditionally ministered to. In this situation a church that has had strong children and youth programs, ministering to young families, may find that the area around it has transitioned and “aged.” If young families are no longer moving into the area, (perhaps the job market isn’t good in the area or else the real estate has become too expensive for young families), then the church may need to change its ministry approach, focusing on the older people that now surround it, or consider relocating to an area that is more consistent with the people it is trying to reach. 

Essentially the church needs to consider strategic, geographic locations, rather than simply looking for available land on which to build.

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