straight edge and box cutter/exacto knife. It must go onto a flat surface but as long as the floor is flat, it will go down. I know a person who put this in a vet's office and she loves it!! If it can take that, it should hold up well in the church. It looks nice going down and if you take care, don't rush it, you can do it yourself. Just be sure to read the directions. This is MUCH easier than laminate flooring. There are some really good videos on youtube that show exactly how to do this.