Most leaders with a heart for starting churches realize that the population shift toward the cities is a long term trend that doesn't appear to be slowing. In North America, certainly there are some who are moving out from the cities to the smaller towns for a quieter gentler life style. And the potential for tele-commuting helps facilitate this. However, that is still only a trickle of population compared to the expansion into larger cities.
Starting a church in, or on the edge of a city is hard enough. But the cost of permanent property on which to build a traditional church building will continue to inflate. Even if you could afford a piece of dirt on which to build you still have to find the money for the building itself. This is still being done. It can be done. However, the reality is that the days appear to be numbered for that concept.
So, you want to start a church? Where will you meet? In a rented school? And how long will that serve you? Suppose your answer is 3 to 5 years. If you are starting from scratch you will need to gather up enough money to have that 3-5 acre site on the edge of a North American town paid for, or at least mostly paid for, before you build. Land costs vary everywhere but just suppose for a moment that land will cost $250,000 an acre. That means that your new church has to gather up about a million bucks before you get the shovel in the ground. The price might be less in a smaller center but it will be more in a big city. Now, does that scare you? It would me! Consider the expectation of the supporters from beyond your church that they will help you out for a few years but not perpetually. You have to find a way to support yourselves. Paying rent and saving up at the same time is rather daunting.
An alternative is to think in terms of permanently renting a space. In another post we will look at that option.
If you are going to start a church you will have to exhibit a large measure of faith. And at the same time you will have to do so within the framework of reality. You have heard of exceptional circumstances where some generous donor covers the cost of a choice property. When that happens it is wonderful! But that is the exception. Creating a plan based on the exception is unwise.
The long term health of your church will be impacted by the questions about where you meet. If you start in one general framework such as a high school gymnasium or auditorium, your people will expect that someday they will have some place permanent like that in which to meet. Only, they probably will expect something nicer.
I am not supplying answers here. I believe there are some answers and I will get to some of them in due course. For today, all I want you to consider is the need to formulate an answer to the question, "Where will we meet in 5 - 10 - 20 years?"
On another day I will suggest some answers. Stay tuned!
Starting a church in, or on the edge of a city is hard enough. But the cost of permanent property on which to build a traditional church building will continue to inflate. Even if you could afford a piece of dirt on which to build you still have to find the money for the building itself. This is still being done. It can be done. However, the reality is that the days appear to be numbered for that concept.
So, you want to start a church? Where will you meet? In a rented school? And how long will that serve you? Suppose your answer is 3 to 5 years. If you are starting from scratch you will need to gather up enough money to have that 3-5 acre site on the edge of a North American town paid for, or at least mostly paid for, before you build. Land costs vary everywhere but just suppose for a moment that land will cost $250,000 an acre. That means that your new church has to gather up about a million bucks before you get the shovel in the ground. The price might be less in a smaller center but it will be more in a big city. Now, does that scare you? It would me! Consider the expectation of the supporters from beyond your church that they will help you out for a few years but not perpetually. You have to find a way to support yourselves. Paying rent and saving up at the same time is rather daunting.
An alternative is to think in terms of permanently renting a space. In another post we will look at that option.
If you are going to start a church you will have to exhibit a large measure of faith. And at the same time you will have to do so within the framework of reality. You have heard of exceptional circumstances where some generous donor covers the cost of a choice property. When that happens it is wonderful! But that is the exception. Creating a plan based on the exception is unwise.
The long term health of your church will be impacted by the questions about where you meet. If you start in one general framework such as a high school gymnasium or auditorium, your people will expect that someday they will have some place permanent like that in which to meet. Only, they probably will expect something nicer.
I am not supplying answers here. I believe there are some answers and I will get to some of them in due course. For today, all I want you to consider is the need to formulate an answer to the question, "Where will we meet in 5 - 10 - 20 years?"
On another day I will suggest some answers. Stay tuned!
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