Write down what the first phase must provide on its own. Show possible later rooms on the site plan and check how people would reach them without disrupting the spaces already in use.
Define the first usable project
List the activities that must work when the first phase opens. Include the supporting rooms and site access those activities depend on. Avoid counting future space as part of the opening-day solution unless it is actually included.
Write down the tradeoffs the congregation is willing to accept temporarily. A shared room may be reasonable for a period, while a missing storage or support area may create a persistent operating problem. Make those choices explicit.
Draw the next phase as a scenario
Describe the expected future program: more worship space, additional classrooms, a fellowship hall or another identified need. Mark its possible location and how people would move between buildings.
Ask the design team what present decisions are affected by that scenario. Record which provisions are included now, which remain subject to later design, and what assumptions would change if the congregation's plans change.
Plan for continued use
Discuss how worship and weekly activities would function during future construction. Identify entrances, gathering areas and rooms that need to remain available. Do not assume that an outline on a campus drawing establishes a workable construction sequence.
For proposal comparisons, request separate descriptions of the current project and any future provisions. This helps leaders understand what the first contract delivers and which later commitments have not been made.
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