Like many church plants, we started mobile.
We found a local school that would have us. We purchased folding chairs and racks, totes and carts, a modular baptistry, and, of course, a trailer. Off we went, loading in and out of the school each Sunday.
Mobile mornings sure start early, but everyone settled into the new routine. Honestly, there was a kind of excitement to it all. We were doing something for the kingdom. We were taking a risk to spread the gospel and serve our community. Setting up and tearing down every Sunday felt meaningfully connected to that vision.
But when you’re mobile, it doesn’t take long for the question to arise: “What’s the plan for a permanent home?”
The question is especially understandable when the weather turns hot, the trailer gets steamy, and the carts get squeaky. Everyone begins to dream of a permanent church home.
Won’t it be nice when we don’t have to get up so early? Won’t it be nice when we can show up and everything is ready? Won’t it be nice when we can focus on other projects? Won’t it be nice when we look more like a “real” church? Won’t it be nice when that day comes!
For us, that day came after nearly a decade. Nine years and several locations later, by the kindness of God and the generosity of his people, we moved into our newly constructed church building. A permanent home at last.
Did that day live up to our dreams? Did permanency make all the difference? And what can you expect if you transition from temporary space to permanent space?
Here are three lessons we learned.
1. Permanency is a real blessing.
Your hopes are founded. A permanent space trumps temporary space and a mobile setup. We do spend less time setting up for every Sunday gathering. Permanency has allowed us to invest more into our space without adding to the weekly workload for volunteers.
Your hopes are founded. A permanent space trumps temporary space and a mobile setup.
We welcome the extra margin to set up for a Sunday on the Thursday or Friday prior. Kids’ toys stay in place. Welcome tables remain set up. The worship and tech team can leave equipment on stage, with settings relatively the same week to week. Gone are the surprise moments of setting up in a school (“Oh, the school has props on the stage today . . . Fun!”).
Access to 24-7 permanent space has allowed our ministries to expand offerings. We’re seeing church members use the new building for meetings, counseling, baby and wedding showers, graduation parties, discipleship groups, and worship nights. Our community has also enjoyed the new space, and we’ve been happy to share it with various teams and groups in our area.
Having a permanent space is truly a blessing. But there’s more to the story, and I want you and your church to be prepared.
2. An adjustment period is required.
When you move into a permanent space, allow yourself an adjustment period. Many tasks and burdens of mobility disappear, but many responsibilities of permanence pop up. The new landscape can feel dizzying at first.
Here are a few examples of new tasks that arise:
Cleaning. You must figure out how you’ll clean the space. Will this be a volunteer team, or can the church afford to hire custodians or a cleaning service? How often will they clean?
Landscaping. Grass grows. Weeds grow (a lot). Will volunteers cover this as well? A lawn-care service?
Scheduling. Everyone is excited about the new space and wants to use it. Great! Whom should they contact about a reservation? And where is the reservation entered?
Maintenance. Immediately, even in a new building, you’ll encounter wear and tear and needed repairs. Who will oversee these items? What’s the budget?
Policies. Who can use the facility? For what and why and when can it be used? Is there a waiver form? A cleaning fee?
These tasks don’t diminish the goodness of a permanent space. Nevertheless, they represent the reality of a new workload, a new decision tree, and even new volunteer or staff positions.
Account for this adjustment period. Give your church and leadership team time to settle in. Don’t race off to hire a staff person to cover the new tasks—not yet anyway. Don’t make any long-term commitments to groups and building use. Don’t write panicked policies. Let the dust settle. Find the new normal. Then start making your moves.
3. The humble, hard work of ministry continues.
A permanent building is a tool for gospel ministry, not a silver bullet. We’ve certainly seen more new faces since we transitioned from a pop-up, mobile church to a church with a permanent address. Attendance grew about 25 percent almost as soon as we moved in. It was amazing and encouraging.
Yet, as we close out the first full year in our new permanent space, the normal ebbs and flows of ministry do and should return.
The permanent building is a wonderful 24-7 advertisement for our church, but people still need to be personally invited. The building does house many new gatherings and groups, but the building is only a backdrop to the ministry done within it. The building has provided us with a home base, but we still must launch out on mission.
The permanent building is a wonderful 24-7 advertisement for our church, but people still need to be personally invited.
A new building may be worth a visit or two for a guest, but it won’t keep, engage, or disciple a guest. When the construction or renovation of your new space ends, the real work continues.
So be ready to redirect your energy to the regular work of ministry. Be ready, especially after a major building campaign, to recalibrate, reenergize, and reengage with the church’s central mission. This transition is right and good, but it might surprise you how fast it comes, how disorienting it can be, and how intentional you must be about this refocusing.
Building for the Kingdom
If you’re part of a church plant pining for a permanent location, hang in there, and keep going! Landing in a permanent space is certainly worth your effort. You’re building for the kingdom. Challenges are ahead, but the blessings outweigh them all.
On the first day we gathered in our permanent space, one member commented, “We are literally standing inside of answered prayers.” It was true, and I hope that will be true for your church too.
The Gospel Coalition