For instance …
… will you REALLY not grow as disciples of Jesus if you are encouraged to give up coveted adult Sunday School space so that your church has the children’s ministry classes it needs? You may not have been told this, but in the grand scheme of things children’s classes are more important than adult Sunday School classes. Read Matthew 19:14. Get over it.
… will your church’s ability to fulfill the Great Commission be hampered if you redecorate that ugly worship space you’ve grown to love? Of course not. Get uncomfortable.
… will the world really end if you put up a Sprung Structure for a few years to create more lobby space? Churches all over the country are doing it. I have a friend whose church grew from 1,000 to 3,000 meeting in a tent. A TENT.
… will you really be unable to worship Jesus if you ripped the carpet and pews out of your sanctuary and replaced them with polished concrete and chairs so that space could be used seven days a week by multiple groups? Of course not. Make the change.
Challenge your people (and yourselves) to maximize the space that you do have to reach as many people as possible in your area.
Challenge yourself to not become the pouting, self-centered Christians caricatured throughout the world.
Change.
Innovate.
Do hard things.
That’s what disciples do.
MOVING FORWARD
Will redesigning your church’s “red zones” every seven years cost money? Of course. But it won’t be nearly as steep as the cost of church decline, which is exactly where you’re headed if you do nothing.
The reality is where there’s a will, there’s a way. You CAN do a lot of this yourself, but you have to drive this.
If you want it bad enough, you’ll find affordable solutions that will allow your facility to continue to enhance your ministry, not detract from it.
But you have to find a way to win. If one, two or 20 different options don’t work, the 21st one just might. Keep pushing and don’t become apathetic about this.
Like I say all the time, you can do this.
You can.