No. 5 - Write Your Program
This is, basically, your list of needs, wants, and budget. Here's where the fun begins! So that you may
never say that you haven't been properly warned, let me break the news to you. Ninety-nine out of a
hundred times, a church's needs/wants won't line up with their budget. This is when the services of a
good architect come into the picture, as well as the importance of developing a good master-plan. Your
list of needs and wants can be simple or very detailed. Your architect should be able to help you with
this and provide an outline to follow, and then be able to recognize and inquire about any areas that
you have overlooked. Here is a rule of thumb regarding square footage: the "ultimate" floorplan for
the average 1,000-seat sanctuary should have 50,000 square feet. A 2,000-seat sanctuary should
have 100,000 square feet, and so on. Within this average square foot formula, there are averages for
each department. However, because of the diversity of each church's program, very seldom does the
formula work out exactly. Again, don't feel bad if your budget causes you to fall short of this formula.
You probably won't be able to afford the "ultimate" now, but it is very important that you master-plan for it.
