5 KEY TENETS of an effective church building process By Rodney James
It’s important for church leaders to know the fundamentals of the church building process. Our team is made up of experienced ministry facility design experts who desire to help educate them on the process in an effort to ensure critical steps aren’t missed.
#1: Carefully think through the purpose of each area of your ministry facilities Define the needs of the ministry in each of those areas. Naturally, the main purpose of each building will be to advance the kingdom of God and fulfill the mission of the church — but this won’t happen automatically.
#2: Share the vision Once you understand the purpose, sharing the vision for any facility renovation or expansion will have greater impact. The vision and future ministry opportunities will help greatly in garnering the greatest financial support and church member buy-in. People need to know the “why” of what they are giving to. How their money is being used is important, but the impact it will make on the Kingdom is what motivates the heart to give. When they understand the vision, their giving becomes based on advancing the kingdom, not just facilitating a building project.
#3: Determine what you can afford This step — determining what your church can afford to build — is a big one. Before you design even one square foot of your new building, this is where you must begin. Staggeringly, 82 percent of projects that begin without a budget, never get completed. So, the most important step you’ll take is to insure you can afford the entire project before you begin design.
#4: Execute a thorough due diligence process This step is critical! If you’re doing new construction, you must determine what it will take to develop your site before you design the buildings that are to be constructed. You must consider the financial impact of developing every piece of your land. Finding a partner to help you with the due diligence process will save you time, money and potential heartache in the long run. Some of the items to consider: • Will you need a stop light or turn lane? • Where are the connection points for all utilities? • How much parking is required? • How will you manage the storm water? • Are there any wetlands identified that must be managed? These are just some of a host of items that have costs attached to them.
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CHURCH EXECUTIVE | SEPT / OCT 2017