Recently I did a series of posts on the Top Three Growth Barriers that all churches face, regardless of size (click here to read), and from the feedback I’ve received it was helpful to many of you.

One question that I have gotten (and often get at live events about this) is about SPACE, the top growth barrier:

“Is there such thing as a ‘too much space’ barrier?”

In other words, while the lack of adequate worship space is an obvious limiting factor, is it possible that having too large of a space for too few people can limit your church’s growth as well?

And the answer is Yes, but…

Yes, too much space can hinder growth, but only in relatively extreme cases.  Keep in mind that most people feel most comfortable in a room that’s 40-50% full.

However, when you are facing this situation (let’s say: 100 people meeting in an 800-seat school auditorium):

1) People get so spread out that they feel awkward (and lose the “corporate worship” feeling)

2) The room loses “energy” – even a Big Day can feel small if the room is too big

3) Your church can appear disconnected from reality

But there’s good news:

It’s much easier to make a large space feel small than it is to find or build more space.

With strategic use of pipe and drape, folding room dividers or seat covers, you can effectively “shrink the space” of an over-sized room to fit a crowd of just about any size.

One company we’ve used to help us make a large space feel smaller is:

http://www.GeorgiaExpo.com

They provide pipe and drape (like what’s used at conventions and trade shows) that works great to make a cavernous space feel more cozy.

Whatever method(s) you decide to use, be sure that they’re easily adjustable — because as your church grows, you need the flexibility to keep opening up more and more seats.

Have a great week!

P.S. To learn the nine most common growth barriers that churches of all sizes face AND the tools to break through them, check out The Breaking Growth Barriers Workshop – A live recording of my popular six-hour workshop.  It’s available for Immediate Download or as a 5-CD Set.