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Big Boxes: Big Opportunities for growing churches
So what is a big box anyway?
Benefits for Churches
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Searching for the ideal way to expand
a church's building size and outreach to the community will present
many avenues, all of which might be viable options. Making the ideal
decision, the one that satisfies all of the normal monetary, time, and
other restrictions, while still proving to be the best investment is a
large task. Renovation and addition to the existing building is often
the first route considered, but the option to construct a new building
at times may appear to be the only other possible solution. Another
option has been created out of the growth of many communities, and may
present a solution that is perfect for your situation. Moving a church
into a “big box” might sound like a joke, but when you weigh all the
options, it might just be the perfect fit for your church.
So What is a “Big Box”
anyway?
The image of cardboard rapidly
deteriorating under a steady rainfall may be the first image that
comes to mind, however, this term has been coined to describe the
large structures built by major retailers. When a retailer like
Wal-Mart or K-Mart needs room to grow, they will usually buy more
land at a new location and build a larger building, while simply
leaving the old building sitting empty for months or years until they
can find someone who is not a direct competitor to sell it to. This
situation has created an almost ideal option for churches to look
into – perhaps the first alternative that should be considered.
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of these buildings across
the country, and it is likely that there is one somewhere in your
community.
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Benefits for Churches
There are many reasons why this setup
might be perfect for your church, some of which will be in the following
list. When given prayerful consideration, you may find other reasons
the “big box” fix might prove to be anything but soggy for your
church's specific needs.
- Location – These retailers often obtain the best
possible location for visibility and access from major roads.
This is ideal for a growing church, often putting you into a
location that will allow many more people to see the church,
and provide an almost instant increase in your sphere of influence.
- Size – The need for space is usually what drives a retailer
to build a new building, but the space they leave behind is usually
more than adequate for a church, allowing room for even more growth.
These buildings are usually 80,000 to 100,000 square feet, and the
possibilities for unique arrangement of offices, classrooms, a
sanctuary, and other spaces are almost endless. This ensures that
you get the right fit for your needs. This can also help your church
avoid the decision of just how big a building you need to build, just
leaving the planning for renovating the existing structure.
- Price - Because a church is not “selling” products or drawing
customers away from the retailers, they will often sell these vacant
properties at great prices to them. This is an ideal situation for
a church that does not want to overspend, and yet still come up with
the perfect solution for each of the other points in this list.
- Existing resources – Many things that a church might need are
often already a part of these buildings. Wal-Mart stores that offer
an automotive repair service would already have facilities that could
be ready with little renovation for buses and vans. Parking lots that
hold parking for 400 or more cars are often already present, as well
as water and electricity, and many other resources that will save time
and money for a church.
- Community Support – Many people in communities have been
irritated with the seeming waste of leaving a large building
standing empty, allowing crime or just deterioration to negate
its value. This could be a way to show the immediate surroundings
of the building that the church is helping restore life – a message
that will be true on more than one level.
- Novelty Draw – If the structure is left similar in appearance
to the way it was, it will often bring in the curious just to see
how the building looks on the inside, presenting a chance for the
church to reach them. Sometimes it is preferable to alter it to
the point of not looking at all like it used to, and this can also
serve as a draw to people who knew what the building used to be, or
by those wishing to see if the building is really as different as an
attendee might tell them.
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The “big box” might prove to be an
intriguing choice for your church, and could prove to be the best
decision you could make as a steward of God's money. An example
of what can be done with a “big box” can be seen in the remodeling
plans Goodman designed and implemented for
First Christian Church of Miami, Oklahoma. The linked projects
page provides some information and a flyby video for a look at how
big a transformation can take place. A great place to start might
be checking
http://www.wal-martrealty.com to see if they have a
location near you. Other retailers might also have one, and simply
looking around your community could reveal your church's next home. If you have
questions about a big box, or any other building project, please
contact us!
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Other articles with information may
be obtained by clicking on the following links:
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