No. 6 - Relocate, or Stay at the Same Location?
This question is usually, to some extent, considered at the inception of your vision. Therefore, its placement
here may not fall in chronological order. Nevertheless, most churches, at some point, are faced with this
question and should take a hard look at the future implications and cost of staying at the same location
versus relocating. The following is an outline of some of the pros and cons of staying at your same location
(if the possibility exists), and a list of things to think about if you decide to relocate.
Staying at Your Same Location
Pros
- You don't have to sell your current facility. This may sound like a no-brainer, but do not underestimate
the potential difficulty of selling. There is a church in our city that wanted to relocate, they had their church
on the market, and they even had a buyer. However, the pastor bypassed the opportunity to sell because
he thought he could get a better offer. Ten years later, he sold it. Sell when you have the opportunity.
- By staying at the same location, you eliminate the possibility of splitting your church or alienating any of
your people who do not want to make the additional drive.
- It is cheaper. You can never replace the square footage that you currently have at the same price it was
originally built for.
Cons
- The cost of acquiring additional property at your current location could be a showstopper. Remember that
you not only need additional property for the actual building, but also for the additional parking.
- The energy efficiency of your old building is going to be much less than that of the new building.
It is important to consider the task of tying the new building into the old facility. A good architect will probably
be able to effectively overcome this challenge by creatively incorporating some design elements from the old
building into the new building. But sometimes it is quite a challenge.
- The location of your existing building might not be as appealing as it once was. This is a touchy issue, though,
because I believe it is important to be in the location where the Lord has called you to minister.
