Nothing jolts us into paying attention to our homes like inviting visitors over. When we are preparing for company we notice the piles of paper we haven’t taken care of yet, the coats and shoes that need to be put away, and the burned out lightbulbs that haven’t been replaced. The same negligence happens in our worship spaces. We get comfortable with our clutter and improvements we have put off because we see the same surroundings week after week. We forget what it would be like for a new visitor to walk into church or our church plant for the first time.
This Church Facilities Check-Up guide will help you see your worship space with fresh eyes so that your church can address the rooms and trouble spots that need freshening up. You can go through this check up yourself, or better yet, have 5-10 church attenders go through the check-up individually. Choose people from a variety of ages and stages of life. Then gather the responses to inform your church facilities improvement plan.
This free printable Church Facilities Check-Up download includes easy instructions for the church members filling out the check-up form. The check-up breaks the church facility evaluation into sections including children’s areas, worship area, parking lot, signage, and many more. The Church Facility Check-Up also includes the church website and social media. For each area there is a place to record a number score and a place for the evaluator to jot down some notes about specifics they see in the area.
Also included in the Church Facilities Check-Up guide is a Facility Improvement Action Plan. Once your church member evaluators have completed their individual assessments, their data can be compiled for the Facility Improvement Action Team. This team can discuss the collective findings of the evaluators and can decide on the priorities of how to address the church facility improvement needs. It is recommended to only choose three to five areas of improvement. This way the church facility tasks do not become overwhelming. The Facility Improvement Action Plan includes space to break to each improvement into action steps. Remember to delegate tasks or invite others to work with you. Researching information may be the first step to many of the necessary improvements.
You may find that many of the church facility improvement tasks are easy and low-cost like clearing out clutter or adding a decorative touch to make your facility welcoming. Remember that new visitors make a quick decision about whether or not they will return to a church. Easy church facility improvements can go a long way in communicating that your church cares for the facility that the Lord has provided and the same loving care will be extended to all who call the church their home.
For more helpful free resources for your church or church plant, please see our Resources page.
