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First Church was outgrowing its landlocked 1950s-era facility, once on the city's edge but now at its center. The solution? The congregation voted to sell the property and erect a multimillion-dollar facility on a 40-acre campus at the new edge of the growing city.

Many churches have a space problem, but not everyone can get up and leave like First Church did. Some churches can't afford to move. Some won't move, choosing to continue ministering where they are in the heart of the city. Even if one church moves, another may purchase the vacated facilities and want to make improvements.

Such churches shouldn't give up their hopes of expansion. There are many good and sound options for churches to build in tight spaces. There are also some pitfalls to heed be fore calling in a construction crew.

The leaders of Clarendon United Methodist Church in Arlington, Virginia, realized that their facilities, which included a sanctuary, a social hall, a three-story connector building, and a three-story education wing, had some problems.

People found it difficult to pass between the sanctuary and the social hall beneath. The vintage 1940s rest rooms couldn't handle the needs of a 21st-century congregation. Stairs everywhere made access difficult for people with impairments. And the 20-year-old elevator was so small it could not accommodate a wheelchair.

The church's building committee wrestled with options for improving the facility. The congregation wanted to continue ministering in its current location, but there was no space left for traditional expansion. Renovation would be too costly. So, with the congregation's support, church leaders decided to tear out the connector building and start over. The new structure now includes a more accessible entry, a large elevator that will accommodate a wheelchair, and updated restrooms. It also offers ground-level en trance to the sanctuary and social hall. Every possible square inch of the property is being used.

Some landlocked churches have improved their facilities by joining the L-shaped corners of a building and adding canopied entrances or large foyers where people can gather. Some have used small open spaces between buildings to add meeting rooms or offices. Still others have built narrow gymnasiums or multipurpose rooms.

But, as Sam Harmon, president of S.R. Harmon Contracting Company, notes, "There's no miracle cure. There's only so much space and there's only so much you can do with it." He recommends creating multiuse space, using a sanctuary for classrooms before or after worship services. Movable partitions are helpful with this arrangement, he says.

Though Harmon doesn't normally recommend having a basement, adding one can be an option for new construction in a tight spot. If your church is built on a slope, a walkout basement may work well, he says. Having multiple floors above ground is another option, although building above and below can be problematic.

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