Growth: A Good Problem

We are a small but growing church. Our facility can accommodate about 110 people packed out and we are currently averaging about ninety in Sunday school. However, we can’t afford to build or purchase a new facility. Any suggestions?

Growth has it’s own momentum. Like a train building up speed, the faster it goes the less power and energy it takes to maintain that speed. Once your church begins to grow at a consistent rate, you don’t want to stop it – it’s too hard to get it going again!

Therefore, a pastor needs to be aware of the 87:100 ratio. This is the point at which your rate of growth will begin to decline: when 87 of every 100 seats are filled on your average Sunday service.

What does that mean? It means that before you reach 87% capacity, you need to start thinking about a larger facility. You have four options:

1) Add additional class space.

2) Enlarge your existing facility.

3) Build a new facility.

4) Establish a “daughter ” church.

Additional space may be provided in your own Sunday school rooms by remodeling unused space, acquiring adjacent buildings, using rooms that are designed for other purposes (one church has their new converts class in the pastors office), or having multiple sessions of your Sunday school.

Recently it has become popular to start “Satellite Sunday Schools.” These are classes that meet at various locations other than at the church: a member’s living room or garage, community rooms, or public schools. The possibilities are endless. Of course, building new facilities is always the best solution if you can afford it.

(from IBC Perspectives – Volume 2 – Issue 6 – page 6)