Meetings may be boring to some and pointless to others. But there’s no denying that well-run meetings are important. Getting people in the same space at the same time is the perfect way to get them on the same page.

But that doesn’t mean that every meeting should be a carbon copy of the last. Variety is the spice of life, and it can also be the spark your meeting needs. One way to keep your meetings fresh is to change up where you meet.

Here are three alternative locations to traditional staff meetings. They may not all work for you, but under the right circumstances, they’re worth a try.

1. Go Off-Site

Rent a cabin for the day, borrow space from a local business, or make use of reservable community space. But watch out for places that are loud or inconducive to work. Coffee shops are nice, but if they’re crowded, it may be too hard to get work done as a group.

Going off-site may be more time-consuming than a traditional meeting. Driving to and from the location can cut into other work time. However, getting outside the walls of your church is a great way to focus on expanding the mission and vision of your organization.

Variety is the spice of life, and it can also be the spark your meeting needs.

Instead of constantly looking inward, an off-site meeting forces you to consider your church’s place in your city.

2. Rotate Offices or Ministry Areas

If your church has a central conference room, leave those four walls for another area of the church. Rotate around to offices or ministry areas each week. Use that new space as a focus for the meetings.

For instance, when meeting in the children’s area, ask your children’s pastor to lead, focus on the needs in that area, or celebrate their recent wins.

Space may be the biggest hindrance to this alternative, as some offices are not large enough to accommodate everyone. However, this can allow you to highlight each department individually to build team unity.

3. A Walking Meeting

The next time you need to meet as a staff, consider taking a walk together. Walk through your church’s hallways. Or try walking around the neighborhood, a local trail or even the mall. You can even incorporate prayer walking with this type of meeting.

Getting up and moving will increase blood flow, which can increase creativity and productivity. It also creates a sense of urgency to deal with matters at hand instead of wasting time. And just changing up locations will help you refocus on certain tasks.

One drawback is the limited number of people who can attend, as it may be more difficult for larger groups of people to hear and participate while walking. It’s also more difficult to share visuals or take notes. But the benefits of exercise could make this a great alternative to use from time to time.

The next time you feel like your meetings are stuck in a rut, find an alternative place to meet. It may be one of these three or another option you’ve thought of. But don’t be afraid to make a move and shake it up.