How to Build a Church

How to Build a Church In 5 Steps

LearnCrosspointe Church Under Constructioning 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 thing he was sure of, and that was that the last hundred church building programs went better than the first hundred!


With that said, here are the 5 basic steps in how to build a church:

Step 1.  Figure out what you really need to build

Step 2. Figure out what you can afford to build and what your land will support

Step 3. Design the project

Step 4. Finance the project

Step 5. Build your church

If only it were that easy! Of course you must realize that the 5 steps above are a lot like saying that going to the moon was as easy as 1) Building a rocket, 2) Aiming at the moon, 3) Pulling the trigger.  It may only be 3 or 5 basic steps, but there are hundreds of questions and answers that are part of the process.

Don’t get me wrong, those ARE the basic steps in how to build a church, and they are the steps in which you should do them in order to keep from getting in trouble. The trouble is, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details.  For a more detailed breakdown, follow this link to our sister site to get a more detailed breakdown of the 11 proper steps in church construction.

Back to our high level overview, steps 1 & 2 are really the purpose of a church needs and feasibility study, a process that has many benefits.  When faced with this step, and make no mistake, this IS the first step of any church building program, the church is hindered by:

  • Not being equipped or experienced in this process.  They don’t teach this in seminary.
  • Not being able to be objective.  It’s hard to see the big picture objectively when you are in the picture.
  • Not knowing what questions to ask.  You don’t know what you don’t know.

Church Building Programs rise and fall on planning and preparation.  This is the time when mistakes can be avoided at the lowest cost and impact to the ministry.

Church design, church financing, and church construction all have their challenges, but if you don’t start well, there is no likely expectation you will end well.  Plan well to build well.  Planning well will minimize the challenges you have in design, finance, and construction.

Bottom Line On How to Build a Church

Do the first things first, it all begins with planning.  By the way, it is not as easy as it looks.  There is an old saying that ignorance is bliss.  Sadly there are many happy churches out there who end up becoming very unhappy in their project when things start coming back around and biting them.

If you want to build a church, get some qualified and objective outside counsel to help lead you through the process. You will be more satisfied with both the process and the outcome, you will probably avoid preventable mistakes, and you will save time, effort and money.  Contact us for a no cost, no obligation conversation about your unique situation.

Get The Book On Becoming Prepared to Build

Preparing to Build - Your Guide to Church ConstructionIf you are in the information gathering stage, I cannot think of a better resource than the book, Preparing to Build.  Its nearly 200 pages of practical tips and advice on becoming prepared to build a church.