Leon Williams Contractors will help answer the call to expand your church

/in /by

We are putting the final touches on what will be, by attendance, Blount County’s largest church. The planned grand opening of the new 33,000-square foot facility at Foothills Churchis set, appropriately, for the Easter season. The previous location will serve as classrooms and a learning center for children.

The church has had a number of rebirths, and we’ve been there along the way. It started in a school, then moved into a former arcade and entertainment center. Each time, church leaders felt the call to expand. The need for a larger facility was obvious and quantifiable; three services occur every Sunday.

While church leaders often feel called to expand to accommodate their flock, there are some very down-to-earth principles to follow before embarking on a major renovation or expansion.

As part of our process, we guide congregations throughout preconstruction planning and the design-build phase, but here are some things to consider before proceeding with a new church:

  • Develop a master plan. Don’t just think about the next step, but consider the next 30 years. Articulate a vision. Do you want to offer a family-life center? Have a commercial kitchen? Open a school? Having a vision for the future can justify the first step toward expansion or a whole new church. What are your anticipated square-footage needs?
  • Conduct a car count. It might seem as if you have good turnout, but numbers don’t lie. You are going to need this information anyway when it comes time to plan a new sanctuary or auditorium. This can also help justify any variances or approvals needed from municipalities to allow the project to proceed.
  • Identify a feasible site.You probably don’t want to move across town, but does the proposed site accommodate the new structure or expansion, have adequate parking and landscaping and provide good egress or ingress? We designed a traffic circle for the Foothills parking lot because of one sole entry and exit point.
  • Keep infrastructure demands in mind.Many churches use a lot more power these days because of auditorium-style services, audio-visual equipment, musical performances and the sheer size of the facility. Make sure you have access to an adequate power supply. The same goes for sewage needs. Don’t plan on too many bells and whistles if you want to open a large church in the country.

We have built and renovatedchurches throughout East Tennessee. If you feel the calling to expand, contact usand we can help every step of the way.