How to Calculate Space For Your Church Ministry

I learned that Chris Davenport over at Church Development Fund has a unique insight on space requirements for church plants.  Every church is different, but he says that there are three potential challenges on finding the right space:

1. Adult Space
2. Children’s Space
3. Parking

Adult Space

He says you can typically expect to max out at 80% capacity.  When you get above 80%, it’s time to think of adding a new service or finding a new space.  So based upon this analysis, he says that if your adult capacity is 300, you can safely count on 240 (.80 x 300) adults for your facility.  He recommends allocating 15 sq. ft. per person when calculating how many adults your space will hold. This allocation includes the area for the stage.  So if you have a facility with 1500 square feet, then it will hold 100 adults.

Children Space 

While this will vary if you are in an area with few kids, in general you can plan on 2/3 adults to 1/3 kids.  In other words if you have 100 adults, you will have 50 kids for a total of 150 in attendance.  (100 adults / 2).

To calculate how many kids will fit in your space, he recommends using the following numbers:

• Nursery: 35 sq ft per child.  350 sq ft is enough space for 10 kids.
• Toddlers: 25 sq ft per child.  250 sq ft is enough space for 10 kids.
• Elementary: 20 sq ft per child.  200 sq ft is enough space for 10 kids.

Keep in mind that the younger the kids, the more adult volunteers need to be in the room and the more toys and equipment is needed.  That’s why the younger the child, the more space they take.

Parking Space

Parking can be figured at a ratio of 2 people per car.  So if you have 100 parking spaces, you can figure 200 people.

Scenarios

So using these numbers let’s take a practice scenario to determine which factor constrains attendance:

We have a facility with adult worship space of 6000 sq ft.  There are three rooms that can be used for kids.  One is 1000 sq ft, and the other two are 750 sq ft.  There are 175 parking spots.  Let’s do the math:

1. Adult space:  6000 sq ft at 15 sq ft per person = 400 adults.  If you take the 80% rule into play a safe figure is 320. That would allow for 160 kids.  It would require 240 parking spaces.
2. Kids space: Assuming the larger room is used for nursery you can fit 28 babies (1000 sq ft/35) 30 toddlers (750 sq ft/25) and 37 elementary kids (750 sq ft/20).  That’s a total of 95 kids.  95 kids allows for 190 adults (using the 1/3 kids 2/3 adults rule).  It would require 143 parking spaces.
3. Parking:  175 parking spots would allow for 350 in total attendance or 117 kids and 233 adults.

In this scenario the constraint is clearly children’s space.  When looking at a potential facility to hold services in, these numbers are very helpful to think through.  That facility with the beautiful auditorium that is set up perfectly for a worship service, may be a terrible fit for children’s ministry or may be a nightmare for parking.

If you want more help with this, leave a comment of feel free to contact Chris Davenport at Church Development Fund at cdavenport@cdfonline.org.

Looking for a new home? If you or a friend or relative is looking for a new home before winter arrives, have them contact me. I can help you sell your current home and find the perfect new home to spend your fall, winter, and beyond. Sign up to receive listings by email.

Wait Times for Short Sale or Foreclosure Victims Reduced

The waiting periods for loans has changed. Home owners only have to wait 2 years after a Foreclosure or 1 year after a Short Sale to be eligible for a purchase money loan to buy real estate. 

This is a great time to take advantage before the interest rates go up. Let your friends who went through a foreclosure or short sale know that the waiting period they originally were told of 3 years or even 7 years to buy again have totally been changed.

Here are some other features:

1.  Prior Housing and Credit Events? Less waiting time.  620 FICO required

2.  High Debt to Income Ratio? They can go up to 50%, but be careful not to get house poor. ;)

3.  Lack of Mortgage or Rental History? No problem. This is great for those families that have had to move around allot. 

4.  Gift Funds? 100% available. This is great way for families or interested parties to contribute towards the purchase of a home. You can borrow up to $1 million and there is no prepayment penalty.

Looking for a new home? If you or a friend or relative is looking for a new home before winter arrives, have them contact me. I can help you sell your current home and find the perfect new home to spend your fall, winter, and beyond. Sign up to receive listings by email.

9 Things to Ignore at an Open House

Don’t let signs of a home’s previous life deter you from making it your dream home. The sellers may not have had the time, money, or willpower to professionally stage or remodel their homes before their open house, but that isn’t always a bad thing.

While a turnkey home is ideal for people who want to move right in and make no changes, don’t ignore those “time warp” homes. They can be incredible gems that just need a little polishing. As you step into each home while you’re house hunting, try your best to ignore these nine buyer turnoffs that are actually pretty easy to adjust.

1. An Older Home

“Old” isn’t synonymous with bad. In fact, sometimes newer homes are more affordable simply because they were built with cheap materials — and that may cost you more money in upkeep than a home built decades ago with quality materials that have proven to stand the test of time.

Remember that there are many simple fixes to modernize a dated home, and many older homes are full of charm and character that you can’t find in a brand-new build.

2. Paint Colors

Ignore the existing paint choices and focus on the structure of the room, the placement of the windows, etc. Paint is an incredibly easy, cheap fix and something you can change in just a few hours.

3. Wallpaper with roosters and chickens

It may feel as if you are walking into a barnyard, but remember that wallpaper (even when it’s covered with roosters and chickens) is easily replaced or covered over. So no matter how design-challenged the walls look, it’s an easy fix.

4. Kitchen appliances and accessories

The kitchen is the heart of the home, but sometimes the appliances just don’t live up to your dreams. As long as you have room in your budget or a timeline to replace the existing appliances, a seller’s ancient yellow fridge shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

5. Ugly carpet

Flooring options are getting more and more diverse, and there are now many low-cost options that look just like their higher-priced counterparts. Don’t walk away from a great house just because you’re not a fan of what you’re walking on.

6. Funky smells

Serious mold problems aside, there are few things a deep cleaning can’t fix. Plug your nose and focus on the home’s bones and the potential it has once you give it your own touch.

7. Curb appeal

If you’re not saying “wow” when you first drive up, that’s OK. Close your eyes and envision a different-colored front door and some new landscaping, and, presto — it might just transform into your dream home!

8. Popcorn ceilings

It’s great at the movies, but not at home. No worries! A ceiling specialist can come in and have all that popcorn texturing scraped off. Just make sure you have it done before you move in — it’s a messy job.

9. No privacy

The house feels too exposed and lacks privacy from next door? Easy fix. Remember, “Hedges make great neighbors.”

Let me know how I can help you or someone you know purchase or sell real estate. I always have time for your questions and referrals.

Looking for a new home? If you or a friend or relative is looking for a new home, have them contact me. I can help you sell your current home and find the perfect new home. Complete the Client Registration form to receive daily listings by email that match your specific search criteria.