Reasons Not to Build a Recreation Facility

Written by John Garner

 

Churches today build recreation and sports ministry facilities for the wrong reasons with little or no thought as to how to use them or how much they will cost after the facility is built. A recreation facility could be the best thing a church does or the worst nightmare it could imagine. Here are some things to consider:

Wrong Reasons to Build

Here are seven wrong reasons to build. If your church is building for one of these you might need to stop and reevaluate.

1. The "Everybody Has One" Syndrome
Just because the church across town has a gym, is no reason to build. Keeping up with the Joneses just might keep your church from being all it could be.

2. The "Survival Mode"
Many churches think that if they build a recreation facility that new people will join and bring their tithe money or maybe unify the church to get it over a dissension problem. This is just not true. The realities of running, staffing, programming and budgeting in a recreation facility often causes financial and membership problems to be magnified.

3. Getting The "Cart Before the Horse"
Churches should hire a person who is called into this ministry at least a year (preferably two) before the facility is built. This person starts programming without a facility so that when a facility is built the building compliments the ministry and becomes a natural next step in the ministry's genesis.

4. "We Will Keep 'Em Off the Streets" or the "Youth Building" Myths
If youth wanted supervision, they would not hang out on parking lots. A properly run facility will be properly staffed and supervised. A properly staffed facility will not appeal to those young people who do not want supervision. Also, if a recreation building ever gets the "youth building" label, adults will not come. However, If you build and decorate for adults the teenagers will come.

5. "Our Community Needs Recreation" Reason
No church can provide recreation activity for the entire community. Churches do not have the money, manpower or scriptural mandate to do so. You can loose your "Christ Distinctive" easily when overwhelmed by the community. A balanced intentional plan for reaching the community must be in place.

6. The "Sports Complex" Mindset
Sports is one programming area of recreation ministry. Be sure you provide for fitness/wellness, arts and crafts, children, continuing education, camping day camping, fellowship, games, and sports. Make a facility as multipurpose as you can.

7. The "We Will Win Souls" Rationale
If you are not winning souls now, you won't after a recreation facility is built. A recreation facility is simply a tool. Used intentionally, it can assist your members build relationships with people thus, providing opportunities to witness in a non-intimidating atmosphere.

Building for the wrong reasons can hurt a church and its ministry for years. However, built for the right reasons at the right time in the life of the church, a recreation facility will compliment the overall church and be a natural next step in ministry growth.

More information on this subject is found in the book: The Guidebook for Planning Recreation and Sports Ministry Facilities. Order by e-mailing: john.garner@lifeway.com .

This product may help you:  Planning and Building Church Facilities

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