In a recent article, Thom Rainer offers 10 commandments for church parking lots. Here are the first six he suggests:
“The Word of God and His truths are foundational and much more important, but to neglect practical ministry is to be unwise and, perhaps, even sinful.
"Through the years, I have gathered untold volumes of information about practical ministries in churches. Let me share with you some of these lessons about parking lots through 'ten commandments.'
"You shall have at least one greeter in the parking lot. That person makes an immediate impression on guests.
"You shall understand the 80 percet rule applies to parking lots. When the parking lot is 80 percent full, it appears totally full to a guest.
"You shall calculate your attendees per car ratio. On the average, two persons come together in a car to church. That number can vary significantly by church, and it definitely affects how many spaces a lot should have.
"You shall have more than adequate handicap spaces. Do not limit these spaces to code requirements; exceed the requirements.
"You shall have more than adequate guest parking. Make certain you have at least one more guest spot than the highest number of guest cars you have for a given worship service.
"You shall have parking for needy groups in the church. Those groups vary by church. One church has several places for expectant mothers. Another church has spots for the more-than-80 attendees. (Read all 10 parking commandments here.)