Who NOT to Call First!

Help for church building programsAn architect or builder is often NOT the first person you should typically call when planning a church building program.  Our experience has shown us that about 4 out of 5 churches that do this end up with a church building plan they cannot afford to build.

Millions of dollars each year are wasted on church building plans that do not get built, or built as drawn.  This causes the church to waste time, effort, and no small amount of money, and time, manpower, and money are three things that most churches do not have enough of anyway.

A church builder once shared with me that in a breakout session at a conference, when he asked the pastors in the room how many of them had found building plans in a closet, desk, or box when they took over their pastorate, 20 of 22 raised their hands!  This is far more than the 4 out of 5 that I believe is common across the country, but it proves the point.

Before you call an architect to design a church, you need to have objectively asked and answered the following questions:

  1. Is building the right answer.  Do we need to build, and if so, why?
  2. If we need to build, what do we need to build that will best meet the needs and vision of the church, now and into the future?
  3. What can we afford to build, and how do we pay for it?
  4. Where should we build, and why is that the right answer?
  5. Given our financial situation, when will we be able to build?

Objectively and correctly answering these questions will give you the information you need to drive a church design process. It will define a building that you can afford and which will be the optimum solution for your ministry within the constraints of its real financial ability.  Unfortunately, most churches do not have the experience or training to do this well.  Additionally, it is hard to do from the inside, for it is hard to see the big picture when you are in the picture! Let us help you navigate this process of doing a church needs and feasibility study, and in doing so not only save the church time, money and effort, but improve the church’s satisfaction with the result.

Contact us today for a no obligation assessment and discussion on how we can minister to your church.