Design & Pre-Design Consulting

Posts and articles on subjects related to planning for a church building program.

There’s No Right Way to Build the Wrong Thing

There’s No Right Way to Build the Wrong Thing

Unless you know the right questions to ask, you have no way of knowing if what your church is planning to build is the right thing or not. As I have probably said several hundred times, “answers are easy, it’s knowing the questions to ask that is hard.” Knowing what questions to ask, and asking […]

Continue Reading »

Who NOT to Call First!

Who NOT to Call First!

An 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 […]

Continue Reading »

Are Consulting Fees Worth It?

Are Consulting Fees Worth It?

Are consulting fees in a church building program really worth it? The answer may surprise you. When considering coaching or consulting services, cost often becomes a subject of debate, and is usually viewed in less than a positive light for several reasons: First, the church often does not like to spend money – it is typically frugally […]

Continue Reading »

They Don’t Teach This in Seminary

They Don’t Teach This in Seminary

Well, at least most seminaries do not teach about church building.  We were pleased to be informed that Liberty University has started using Preparing to Build in their D.Min program. Pastors are taught a variety of things, including how to exegete the Word, pastoral care, church planting, and church growth strategies – but no one […]

Continue Reading »

Church Needs and Feasibility Study

Church Needs and Feasibility Study

According to Wikipedia, a feasibility study is a preliminary study undertaken before the real work of a project starts to ascertain the likelihood of the project’s success. The needs and feasibility study is an analysis of possible alternative solutions to a problem and a recommendation on the best alternative whether for new church construction, renovation, expansion, […]

Continue Reading »

How to Build a Church

How to Build a Church

How to Build a Church In 5 Steps Learning the steps of how to build a church is not hard.  Learning how to do those steps the right way takes a great deal of experience. An associate in church design and construction remarked that having been involved in over 400 building programs, there was one […]

Continue Reading »

Benefits of a Needs & Feasibility Study

Benefits of a Needs & Feasibility Study

The benefits of a Church Needs and Feasibility Study for any church contemplating a building a new church, church expansion, or relocation are multi-faceted. The church should carefully weigh the benefits of careful preparation for a building program – because it will have to live with the results for a very long time. Here are […]

Continue Reading »