New England Warehouse Churches
Rockingham Christian Church
Salem, New Hampshire

The Roadside Sign

This is the first in a series of interviews with churches who meet in warehouse settings in New England. Rockingham Christian Church is located at 5 Industrial Way Unit 2, Salem, NH. The staff consists of Tom Gerdts, Lead Minister; Amy Snyder, Minister of Children and Family Life; Bill Petty, Minister of Worship; Steve Cullum, Minister of Youth; and Lynn Clark, Office Administrator. This church plant was six years old in November 2007 with an average attendance of 240-250.

Tom, why would a new church meet in a warehouse/light manufacturing park?

This young church was not financially in a position to buy a space large enough to meet their needs for worship, children's ministry, and office space, so they began looking for space to lease. Options were few in the Salem area and very expensive. The "5 Industrial Way" unit, with some renovations, seemed suitable. It was also exciting to consider creating a space to meet spiritual needs in the context of commerce and industry.

The RCC Staff (l-r) Bill & Amy Petty, Lynn & Roger Clark, Amy & Chris Snyder, Steve Cullum, Tom & Karen Gerdts

RCC Warehouse

The Worship Hall/Stage (Before)

The Worship Hall/Stage (After)

What was the process of locating in this warehouse park?

A Search Team was formed led by Amy Snyder, Minister of Children and Family Life. They started by developing a list of all available space in the Salem area. Then they created a short list of the most desirable spaces to pursue. When the team first walked into this space, several felt it would be easily adaptable for church use. Most of the renovation was cosmetic. The three rooms used for children's ministry, the offices, and the bathrooms were already in place. The owner assisted in securing the zoning variance needed from the town of Salem to allow the church to assemble in this location.

What have been the advantages and disadvantages of meeting in this facility?

When people walk in, they are pleasantly surprised at the warm and welcoming appearance of the main foyer, unlike the traditional church structures to which they are accustomed. We are pretty upfront with people that we practice a relational form of Christianity and community is important to us. The atmosphere we have tried to create with the architecture, lighting, and colors does encourage conversation.

Many are intrigued and ask why a church would want to meet in a warehouse. We explain that we are a new church and do not yet have the infrastructure and resources of an established church. It's just like growing a business--you start small without much infrastructure (in someone's garage, etc.) and then grow from there. Being in a warehouse, we have had more opportunities to tell our story because people are genuinely interested in why we are located here. The downside for us is that this particular location is not easily visible to people--they have to really be looking for us because we are on the backside of the building. We put out portable signs on Sunday mornings in key locations to help new people locate us.

Parking has proved to be more than adequate for our needs on Sunday mornings with over 200 spaces available to us. During the workweek (9 am to 5 pm), our lease restricts our usage to 20 parking spaces. Obviously that limits what we are able to do during the weekdays. However, evenings and weekends are pretty open for us.

What type of relationship do you have with the other businesses in the complex?

Within the first few months we were here, we walked around and introduced ourselves to the other businesses and hand delivered invitations to drop by our place for some refreshments and a look around during their breaks or lunchtime. We had a good turnout from businesses in our building and some from other buildings in the area. A few were Christians who came to say, "Good job and keep up the good work" but most were curious and came to welcome us to the neighborhood. One lady struck up some friendships and has been bringing her family to church for over a year and a half now.

How has meeting in a warehouse affected the long-range goals of the church?

It has bridged the gap between our pioneer infant days when we had no space of our own, loading in and out of Mary Fisk Elementary School every Sunday, to a time when we will have our own permanent space. We are viewed less like a "cult" by some in the community since we have leased permanent space. The church saw a steady stream of guests and worship attendance almost doubled within the first year. We expect to see a similar increase when we move to a permanent location.

How will the design and usage of the warehouse layout dictate the design of your next structure?

Our new facility will definitely be nontraditional in style. We need some medium-sized meeting rooms to accommodate 30-50 adults for Bible study and opportunities for people to get better acquainted and connected on Sundays. As our attendance has increased, we are currently experiencing crowding difficulties in the hallways and lobby area. We know we will need larger areas for people to gather and visit. Some of the rooms used for children's ministry are becoming crowded also. The concern is that this may be putting a cap on our growth, and we are in the process of addressing some of these issues.

Do you find that individuals are anxious to move on to the next facility, or are they content with where you are located?

Our people definitely love our current facility and the non-threatening first impression it offers to those who are seeking, but everyone knows we are only here for a season. Within a month of moving into the warehouse, we announced the formation of our Property Search Team to the congregation, indicating that we needed to be ready to move on to a permanent location by the end of 2010 when our lease runs out. We want our people and the community to understand that we intend to be a growing church and are committed to making a difference in our community. 

For more information, go to the church's website at www.rockinghamchristian.com.