When looking to build new the average suburban church will need approximately one acre for every 100 people that it wants to seat in the Worship Center. This ratio is a general Rule of Thumb, and will vary according to the municipal zoning and planning regulations and any constraints imposed by the site itself. For example there may be steeply sloped areas, wetlands, or streams that are not suitable for development. There may also be deed restrictions, right of ways, easements, etc. Depending upon the extent of these natural and legal features significant portions of the site may not be useable. Additionally, the zoning regulations will dictate how much of the property can be covered with buildings and parking. This Rule of Thumb does not mean that a Church with 10 acres of property cannot grow beyond 1,000. The ratio is typically for those in the worship service, which for many churches exclude children who are in a “kids’ church” or other setting during service time. Additionally, the church may offer several services, which would enable them to grow significantly larger. But if the expectation is that a church will eventually need a 1,000-seat Worship Center, the minimum property size to accomplish this would be 10 useable acres. 

For the urban church not as much land is needed. For various reasons the City Zoning allows for a greater density of buildings. Also, not as much parking is needed since a family of four is more likely to travel in one automobile, and public transportation may account for a fair percentage of attendees. Finally, parking does not have to be on-site as is the case with suburban development. The urban church can utilize on-street parking, public parking lots, or even local businesses that do not need their parking lot on a Sunday morning. For the urban church it is not as practical to establish a rule of thumb regarding the amount of land that would be needed to construct a Worship Center of a particular size. City structures also tend to be multi-storied, opening up the possibility for vastly different solutions for assistance with property selection for an urban church. We suggest considering an individual consultation to help you determine an adequate site. 

Trackback URI | Comments RSS