If you’re ever in a position where you are trying to make a decision between facility expansion and maintaining your current level of ministry, the answer is a no-brainer! Never sacrifice ministry for building! For years I have consulted with churches in good economic times and bad. The cardinal rule here is that God blesses the ministry of the church that puts ministry first. Facility expansion always follows effective ministry and not vice versa.
Filed: by Dick White
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Other than the obvious items like plans, specs and permits, the church should have determined their ministry mission. In other words what is their targeted ministry outreach? If it is families with young children, then perhaps they should consider expansion of classroom and fellowship area. The only way to be successful in your due diligence in this regard is to hire a church building consultant who can walk you through a Needs Analysis. This step alone will assist you in determining the feasibility of building and provide you with the programming information necessary for a preliminary design.
Filed: by Dick White
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Obviously there are numerous indicators that you should consider before expanding your church facility. Indicators such as sustained growth, financial stability and resources are but a few. Perhaps overlooked most is the spiritual side of the equation. Has your church fellowship been diligent in seeking God’s will in His direction for your church? If the answer is “yes” then connect with a church building consultant, one with great references, to guide you through the entire building process starting well before concept drawings. Architects are usually not qualified for this preliminary, yet essential, work.
Filed: by Dick White
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If you are considering church facility expansion, now’s the time to get moving with the process and here’s the reason why. Contractors, architects and engineers are looking for work. There are deals to be made if you have the expertise to know how to go about them. Unfortunately however, hard economic times are often a breeding ground for the unscrupulous to prey upon church. An experienced church building consultant will save you thousands of dollars.
Filed: by Dick White
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CHURCH BUILDING IS A DISTINCTIVE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION. Have a contractor on your building committee? How about an architect? Well good for the church but you may be better off without them running the program. Years of consulting with churches have shown that an independent consultant acting as the owners representative saves the church money and aggravation. Well intentioned board members can be so set in their ways that no methodology, except theirs, is acceptable to them. What’s worse is when they convey their feelings to other key members. Say good-bye to the plans God has for the church.
Filed: by Dick White
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WE’RE THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A CHURCH, WHERE DO WE START? Every successful church building project starts with proper planning. Proper planning always requires expert counsel. Experienced church building consultants will bring that level of expertise to the table. Unfortunately, the industry is alive with “would be” consultants who have never built a church. Would you go to a vet for your open heart surgery? Why then consider building without expert independent counsel? The operative word here is “independent”. How can a builder or architect be independent when their fee is usually predicated on the cost of the project? Hire a church building consultant.
Filed: by Dick White
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NEEDING FINANCING FOR A CHURCH BUILDING? The present market conditions have opened the door for an infusion of capital in the church building/lending marketplace. Many Christian investors are looking at churches as a secure investment and are making their monies available for that. As a church building consultant I receive frequent calls from churches looking for funding. This week a lender phoned me to say that in 123 years of business they had never foreclosed on a church loan. Call a consultant at Your Church Rep for his recommendations.
Filed: by Dick White
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WASTING MONEY IN CHURCH CONSTRUCTION that’s what many churches do because they don’t know how to go about the right way. The correct method to follow is to hire a church building consultant who has construction experience, before you do anything else. He will guide you through a process that will ultimately save the church money and aggravation.
Filed: by Dick White
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BUILDING A CHURCH? Please don’t make the mistake that scores of churches make when they are ducked into purchasing a metal building without first securing the services of an experienced church building consultant. Why? Because many steel building manufactures don’t design their buildings to meet the engineering required by the local municipality. As a building consultant I get calls from churches that have metal buildings sitting on the ground that can’t be used because of improper design.
Filed: by Dick White
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Having worked with scores of churches over the years, I can testify that concerns will be voiced over the sensitive issue of including “experts” on the Board or Building Committee. These members, though often with good intentions, can cause great harm to the process if they are not treated with godly wisdom and Christian love. When this situation occurs, it presents a great opportunity for education. When we treat it as a naturally-occurring question, rather than a challenge, then everyone benefits. Left unanswered, or handled with less than loving candor, it can result in a costly setback. Often, well-intentioned folk lack the “diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Serious thought, based on the strengths or weaknesses each individual exhibits, is vitally important when appointing committee (team) members. Respected, Christ-centered individuals, with a heart for ministry usually make better team members than will disinterested experts. Allow me the liberty to say, however, that should one of your “experts” manifest a genuine spirit of “gentleness with patience,” their input should be encouraged. The scripture tells us in 1 Kings that “David had it in his heart to build a temple (not for themselves) but for the Name of the Lord.”
Although the collective genuine desire of most building committees and pastors is to see their ministry grow through building expansion, they must always remember that they are embarking on building expansion to honor the Lord.
A seasoned church-building consultant… especially one with successful construction experience, will not only reduce your building costs, but save you many heartaches associated with the entire building process.
Filed: by Dick White
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