Do your research when planning a new dining facility for your church.
One of the most basic community services a church provides is the ability for people to meet together. Outside of actual religious services, space for community members to share a meal can be one of the most rewarding functions of a church, and a way to extend the fellowship of the congregation. A church dining room can also provide a place for outreach, such as the provision of a soup kitchen. If your church community is planning a new dining room facility, calculate your space needs with care.
Instructions
1. List the various church groups and outside organizations that will use the planned space. Consider at this point if the entire congregation will need to use the dining room at any point.
2. Contact the leaders of these groups, be they youth fellowships, outreach missions or bible study groups, to ascertain the total membership of the groups, as well as the number of members who regularly attend events that will be held in the new space.
3. Total up the maximum number of people who may use the dining room at any one time, as indicated by your research, and then consider whether you wish to add a percentage for future growth.
4. Calculate the space needed as follows: the of diners times 12 square feet. This is a comfortable amount of space per diner for a basic table service or cafeteria-style dining room. Then add 100 square feet of service area (space for server stations or buffet tables) per 100 seats.
5. Attend a meeting of the vestry or other governing body of your church to relay your research and calculations.
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