Church Growth Strategies: 5 Ways to Start Activating Space

The majority of church buildings lie idle from Monday through Saturday. Even Sunday night, they’re often empty. This is why building activation is a major focus for our team. 

The truth is, most churches need to expand smarter, not faster. A lack of space to serve ministry needs is often a stewardship problem. Not an inventory one.

While building expansions and multisite strategies have their place, you always want to start by optimizing your existing spaces first. But how can you do that? What steps can you take to start activating your church’s underused spaces today?

Here are five ways you can set the stage for dynamic space activation in your church building.

1. Pray — Align With Ministry and Vision

This is always the starting point. Don’t say you’re doing something “for the kingdom” and then neglect to ask the King.

If you want to discover the right way to activate your church spaces, this has to start with prayer — and not just with yourself. Ask your entire leadership team to pray, specifically and in detail. Get everyone looking to the Lord for wisdom and guidance as you begin to plan the next step in your church’s growth.

2. Shift From Focused to Flexible Spaces

Mindset is a big deal when activating church spaces. It’s easy to get locked into a fixed perspective when looking at your church. The sanctuary is where you gather on Sunday. The children’s wing is for kids ministry. The lower level is for the teens. You get the idea.

This fixed mindset can be an innovation killer. In entrepreneurial circles, growth mindsets are valued because they enable people to adapt, foster resilience, iterate, and stay humble. In contrast, a fixed mindset leads to resistance and missed opportunities.

The same concept applies to managing church spaces. If you want to be able to effectively activate your spaces, you have to start by shifting from a fixed to a flexible mindset with your spaces. 

Resist the temptation to dedicate spaces for specific tasks. Instead, through prayer, stay flexible and open to ideas. Let yourself be challenged and think bigger than you have in the past.

3. Gauge Community Needs

As you pray and shift mindsets, start considering what your community needs. We’re not just talking about your church family here. Think holistically. What does your geographic region need? Where are they hurting or lacking?

If you don’t know the answer, you can find out how to give targeted support to your local community through a variety of channels, like:

• Running surveys
• Attending town halls
• Meeting with community leaders

Look for common threads and needs. That way, when you invest in a specific activation project, you give yourself the best chance of having a serious impact.

4. Align Budgets and Ethical Attitudes

Once you’ve prayed, assessed attitude (of yourself and your team), and considered community needs, it’s time to start digging into the nitty-gritty details. Budget is a big part of this.

Is your church feeling the pressure of buildings and maintenance? Is your building supporting your ministry or the other way around? Are you approaching building activation as an ethical way to stay on mission? Make sure you’re using best practices with your finances as you prepare for an activation project.

5. Consider Your Options

Finally, stay flexible as you consider the options available to you. Here are a few examples:

• Childcare programs: Chase Oaks Church is a great example of how this can vitalize an underused, kid-friendly space.
• Coffee shops and cafes: Many of our clients turn cheesy, Sunday-focused cafes into vibrant, thriving, trendy community hot spots.
• Outdoor spaces: From pickleball courts to playgrounds, investing in recreation areas is always a hit.
• Community centers: Sometimes, investing in a synergistic mix can create the best facility for your community’s needs.

There are a lot of ways churches can activate spaces. Some require larger investments. Others are simple, but their impact is smaller. Still others may make sense for your building but won’t align with community needs. 

This is where having a group like Ministry Solutions in your corner can make a big difference in creating a Clear Path Forward. We have extensive experience planning activated space projects. Having a consultant like that involved and on-site can help you bring everything together and make the best choice for your current situation.

Activating Your Spaces — Today

The key to building activation is to start moving. Remember, step one is praying. That’s simple, straightforward, and as church leadership, it should be a no-brainer. Start there. Then consider how you can engage with each of the other steps on this list.

If you want a knowledgeable, experienced partner to help you along the way, reach out for a free 30-minute consultation. Together, we can work to understand your situation, review the data you have (whether you realize it or not), and then explore your future together. 

Our goal with every client is to help them engage in any building activation with the confidence that they are aligning their church real estate with their mission and vision — and not the other way around. Let’s make that a reality for your church, too.