location, location, location

Being the son of a realtor I have heard the phrase "location, location, location" many times. Location is a major component of planting a church. There are four things we are looking for in choosing a place.

1. Size, Expandability, Flexibility. The place has to be big enough to accommodate our needs (parking, nursery, preschool, worship, etc.). When you could have as few as 75 or as many as 400 on your first Sunday, it's quite a challenge to find a place expandable enough. Flexibility is also an issue. Commercial real estate leasing agreements often ask for a 3, 5, or even 10 year commitment. If you're signing a lease that ties you to a location for 3 years, it had better be one that you can still use if you grow.

2. Residential Area. The location needs to be close to where people live. I have never understood why people are willing to commute 45 minutes to work, but will rarely travel more than 10 minutes to go to church. But it is what it is, and therefor being close to residential neighborhoods are important.

3. City Approval. This is an often overlooked factor. I have heard many horror stories over the past month about pastors that have signed a lease or worse yet, bought a building only to find out that the city will not approve the site for church use. In Virginia Beach there isn't a zoning label for churches. Rather the city grants a conditional use permit for a church to meet in a location that is zoned for business, industrial, etc.

4. Drive by traffic. Putting a sign out in front of where you are meeting is the cheapest form of advertising. Being able to put out a sign in a high traffic area isn't a must, but it is such a great thing to have that it makes this list.

Conclusion: This is why schools and movie theaters are the most common place for church plants. They almost always meet all four of the requirements.