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Could your church use an extra fellowship hall? What about more space for the youth group? Do you need room to start an outreach program for community seniors? If you're asking these questions and others, then it's time to consider a well-designed multipurpose building. And if you think such buildings are something only wealthy churches can afford, think again.

No matter what you call them—multipurpose buildings, family life centers, activity centers, or gymnatoriums—these increasingly popular flexible spaces are as likely to be found on a 400-member church campus as on a megachurch campus. Churches of all sizes are finding them a less expensive and more versatile alternative to traditional space.

"It's not a trend; it's a factor of the economy," says Henry Kohlleffel, vice-president of Century Builders in Houston, Texas. "A gym holds more bang for the buck."

Many growing churches, he says, are using multipurpose buildings as a steppingstone before investing in their ideal worship center. Building a multipurpose facility first allows the church to raise capital funds while accommodating rapid growth.

Kohlleffel gives this example: A church with 800 people in worship wants to build a sanctuary that seats 1,000 people and also a family life center. However, it can't immediately afford such an ambitious project, and growth is so rapid that a 1,000-seat worship space would prove too small upon completion. Realizing the versatility of a multipurpose building, the church decides to make such a facility an interim step on its path to building a dream sanctuary three to five years down the road. Without a multipurpose building, the church would probably just continue holding services in a storefront or school.

In general, traditional buildings and multipurpose buildings have one major difference: ceiling height. A traditional fellowship hall usually has an eight- or ten-foot ceiling, says Jim Avery, vice-president of sales and marketing for Sprung Instant Structures in Calgary, Alberta. In a multipurpose building, ceilings are higher to accommodate portable staging and gymnasiums. Most gymnasiums are built to high school or college requirements, approximately 6,000 square feet with 20- to 25-foot ceilings.

"When there are a lot of people, you need height for clean sight lines," says Avery, whose Sprung stressed-membrane structures measure 35 feet high at the peak. Additional height allows room for volleyball, basketball, worship, drama, and large music presentations.

In a traditional sanctuary you can't remove the pews or theater seats to set up a basketball court, but the usual limits don't apply to multipurpose facilities. A family life center can quickly be transformed from recreational to educational space by hiding sports equipment and setting up chairs and tables. Such flexibility enables churches to host their current ministries while simultaneously expanding into new areas.

Of course, not all multipurpose buildings are intended to be used as a gym. Even without a higher ceiling, these buildings can be used for a variety of events, and they are easier to adapt to normal sanctuary requirements.

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