| u pick up a bible, leaf to the first page and read the | | | | five or 10 years? And what will your space needs be |
| first three words, what do you learn about God's | | | | then? Will an active singles ministry today give rise to a |
| approach to creation? He started, "In the beginning..." | | | | booming young married group? Will today's large |
| Pastors often find themselves in a bind because they | | | | population of young couples need expanded child-care |
| didn't follow this approach with a construction project. | | | | facilities in three years? Is your church equipped to |
| Churches feel pressure to build for a variety of | | | | provide the support that aging Baby Boomers will need |
| reasons. A fortunate few have jammed parking lots | | | | as they enter the "golden years?" |
| and services with people standing for lack of a seat. | | | | Secondly, whether you quiz your congregation as a |
| These churches need more space, while others need | | | | whole or just through honest conversations with |
| more spaces (separate rooms for new ministries, | | | | respected, knowledgeable members, find out: |
| classes or simultaneous committee meetings). If | | | | • Just how interested are you in expanding? |
| pressed, some pastors might even confess to starting | | | | • What level of financial commitment would |
| a building project just to stir up a little excitement in | | | | you be willing to make and keep? |
| their congregations. Whatever the motivation, at any | | | | • Is it space we need or are there other areas |
| given time there are hundreds of churches across | | | | that need improving first? |
| America leaping into building programs. | | | | While you're asking questions, you need to do a little |
| At the same time, there are a proportionate number of | | | | statistical research as well. What is the capacity of |
| churches being sorely tested by building campaigns | | | | your facility, and what percentage of your seats is full |
| gone wrong, often because they "started in the | | | | in each service over several weeks? By having |
| middle." Some run out of money because they | | | | someone simply count the number of empty seats in |
| overestimated their members' willingness to give, while | | | | each service or the number of people who arrive |
| others crash because of internal conflict over vision. | | | | after the service begins, you can learn a lot. You might |
| Some churches complete their project only to find | | | | even find that adding a service or simply rescheduling |
| they over-built or underestimated the monthly cost of | | | | service times could solve some crowding problems. |
| those little luxuries like electricity, heat or running water. | | | | You might also discover your capacity has been |
| Of all the examples one might see of churches | | | | reduced by Sunday school classes borrowing chairs |
| "starting in the middle," we encounter one scenario | | | | from the sanctuary. You may be surprised with what |
| more than any other when counseling churches at an | | | | you find. Which classes are filled to overflowing and |
| impasse. Having for whatever reason decided to build, | | | | which are taught simply because they've always been |
| countless churches rush out and hire the architect that | | | | taught? (This ties back to defining your core mission. |
| designed that huge church across town or that | | | | The question could also lead to some tough decisions.) |
| cathedral you always see on the TV. They then bare | | | | Next, continue your research on your external |
| their hearts to the designer, sharing their hopes and | | | | environment. If you know the target of your outreach, |
| dreams for their new facilities, and engage in flights of | | | | are there enough of those targets living within a |
| fancy as they visualize a ministry without boundaries. | | | | reasonable distance from your church? Is the |
| Some might envision a workmanlike multipurpose | | | | population around your church rising or falling? Are |
| facility with industrial grade carpeting and a basketball | | | | families moving in or leaving in droves? Is the economy |
| hoop suspended behind the altar. Others may | | | | around your campus improving or on the verge of a |
| rhapsodize about a glass-walled facility perched on the | | | | downturn (rumors of office closures, layoffs or |
| nearest mountain, filled with hard-mounted, overstuffed | | | | buyouts)? Does the average person sitting in your |
| chairs (with cup-holders) and a heated baptismal font | | | | service match up with the demo- graphics of your |
| that is raised by hydraulics from underneath the altar | | | | surrounding area? In the course of that research, you |
| floor. | | | | might even discover that you've misidentified your |
| Architects by nature are creative visionaries, imbued | | | | target audience. This might be unsettling, but is |
| with the amazing talent of transforming dreams into | | | | extremely valuable information. |
| dark blue lines on a light blue page. Presented with a | | | | Solutions may emerge |
| church vision, many architects will enthusiastically | | | | Compiling and sifting through the information you've |
| attack a challenge and draw precisely what their client | | | | gathered can be a demanding process, one for which |
| described. In a recent conversation, an associate at a | | | | you may want to retain experienced outside help. |
| West Coast bank mentioned that nearly 40 percent of | | | | However, it is the critical element of truly starting "in the |
| the churches that approach them for financing carry | | | | beginning." As the responses to your questions begin |
| with them architectural drawings that, although beautiful, | | | | to coalesce, you'll begin to recognize some key trends. |
| will never get funding. Why? Because no one at the | | | | Despite your expectations, you may find your |
| church has taken the time to research the full cost of | | | | challenges met by simply renovating your existing |
| the project or assessed the ability of their current and | | | | facility, building an addition, or even rearranging the |
| future membership to pay for it. | | | | chairs in your sanctuary. |
| Avoid the "new house bug" | | | | After doing your homework, you may come to the |
| Despite the overwhelming pressure to build, it is | | | | conclusion that it is, in fact, time to build. You might be |
| important for churches of every size to take a very | | | | located in a significant population and economic growth |
| measured approach to any sort of expansion. Just as | | | | area. You may be pursuing a focused vision of |
| a home is the largest investment a typical family will | | | | ministry, changing the lives of people throughout your |
| ever make, a new facility is likely the largest | | | | area. Your attendance and giving patterns might be |
| investment a church family will ever make. And, like a | | | | strong and trending upward. You may even learn of |
| family, once the spouse and kids catch the "new | | | | people that are hungry for God's word but are drifting |
| house bug," it's tough to pace yourself on a purchase. | | | | away because they can never find a parking space or |
| The key to any big decision, whether it be a vehicle | | | | their legs get sore from standing in the back of the |
| purchase, a new job or a 3,000-seat worship facility | | | | sanctuary throughout the service. |
| with giant video screens, stained glass windows and | | | | So what's next? Hire an architect, right? Not so fast. |
| loudspeakers the size of a HumVee, is research, | | | | You may have done some homework already, but |
| research, research. (And, of course, prayer and the | | | | now it's time to really dig into the details. How big is |
| enlistment of wise counsel.) | | | | your congregation and how many members give |
| Before building (or renting) a new facility, moving to a | | | | regularly? Just how fast is the local population growing |
| different location, or even renovating existing space, it | | | | and how many new members might you anticipate if |
| is important to assess carefully the church as it stands. | | | | you increased your seating capacity by a certain |
| To do that, you need to ask several questions of | | | | percentage? Where should you build your church and |
| certain key groups and gather vital background | | | | how much land do you need for the building, parking, |
| information from your surroundings. | | | | easements, drainage, wetlands, wildlife areas, access |
| First, you need to quiz your own staff, elders and | | | | roads, support facilities, and that lighted baseball field |
| leaders on the following: | | | | with the scoreboard that shoots fireworks? |
| • What is the core purpose of our church? (i.e. | | | | As you can see, there are a lot of questions that must |
| who exactly are we trying to reach and what are we | | | | be answered before you build. Unfortunately, if they |
| trying to do for them?) | | | | are not asked, a church may start down that road of |
| • What specific ministries tie directly into our | | | | daring to dream, buying into a spectacular vision, then |
| core purpose? | | | | falling grievously short. When that happens, no matter |
| • What ministries are gaining participants? | | | | what the church ends up with, it will never match what |
| Which are losing people? | | | | people envisioned and will always fall short in their |
| • Why do we want to build? Crowded | | | | eyes. |
| services or classes? Traffic jams in the parking lot or | | | | However, by beginning your building "in the beginning," |
| kids packed like sardines in the daycare? Or is our | | | | you can save money, manage expectations and equip |
| current facility hindering our outreach? (Too far from | | | | your ministry to reach the greatest number of people |
| target audience, dangerous neighborhood or the | | | | and change the maximum number of lives. It's a big |
| building is just plain ugly?) | | | | goal, and it takes harder work than you may have |
| In addition to assessing your current position, it is critical | | | | ever imagined. However, changing lives through |
| to assess where the church is headed. Given your | | | | ministry is what we've been called to do, so you might |
| situation today, what will your congregation look like in | | | | as well do it right. |