Moving Forward with Church Health

Different studies have shown that major projects, such as a new Worship Space or a facility relocation can provide between 10 to 20 percent growth in the first year among healthy churches.

The challenge is that differing opinions, financial stresses and the distractions of a building program can actually cause many healthy and growing churches to become unhealthy during the expansion process.

Below are two ideas on which to focus during the expansion process that may help to keep the Church centered on Christ and healthy during the project.

Commit to Ministry expansion not bricks and mortar. During all communication, be sure to focus on the ministries that will be started or expanded. Downplay the new facility that will accommodate the ministries. Many people are comfortable arguing about building materials or colors, few will argue the Church's Ministry goals. If Ministry is the focus during stewardship campaigns, members feel less "wronged" if the building plans change.

Keep up the momentum. The average Church facility expansion takes about two and a half to three years from the formation of a planning committee to dedication Sunday. The actions and mindset of the leadership during this time is crucial to the projects success.

Many of us have gritted our teeth on a Sunday afternoon while our favorite football team looses the game in the last five minutes of play. For some reason, mostly unknown to us, they change from the regular defense, that has worked well for the entire game, to something called a prevent defense. This is a defense that is supposed to prevent big yardage plays, but usually only prevents your team from winning. The analogy is simply this: You have been growing as a Church over the last few years for many reasons, don't change them simply because there is a building expansion on the horizon.

If the carpet needs updated - Don't wait to combine it with the future project.
If you need another staff person - Don't hesitate, you need them now.

There are many more examples, but I believe that you understand what I'm saying. In the last two years before an expansion, many churches unknowingly make decisions that take them out of the growth phase that caused the need for the expansion in the first place.

To summarize, focus on your ministry not your building and continue on the path that brought you to this place of growth. May God bless your Ministry.

Steve

Wal Mart Churches

In the last few years I have seen a number of churches deciding to reuse existing buildings as an alternative to new construction. The majority of these have purchased an abandoned “Big Box” store such as a Wal Mart, Home Depot, or Ames. There are others who have purchased shopping centers, theaters, and office space. In my opinion this will continue to grow as a solution to affordable Ministry Space.

Some of the advantages to this approach include:

Reduced Site Improvement Cost- most if not all retail space has parking, storm water management and utilities in place.

Faster Delivery- it is often quicker to design, permit and construct a build out as opposed to new construction.

Reduced Cost- typically an empty building can be purchased for less than the cost to build it from the ground up.

Greater Flexibility- few if any of the interior walls will be load bearing in this type of building. This provides endless possibilities for interior changes as Ministry changes.

Although this is a great solution for some churches, it does have some limitations to consider:

A Box is a Box- it will be difficult and expensive to drastically alter the exterior appearance of the building if the church wants a traditional appearance .

Less expensive-Not Free- there will be definite cost savings when reusing an existing space but there will be costs. Too many churches convince themselves that money will not be an issue. Money is always an issue; I have yet to meet the church that has enough money to do everything it wants to do.

Maintenance- a commercial building will usually require a more knowledgeable facility staff. There are typically larger HVAC systems and larger electrical services. That combined with the overall size of the building will usually require a full time Facility Manager.

As a church plans to expand, this re-use of space needs to be considered as an option. There are many other points to consider and as with any potential building program; consult with a professional sooner rather than later. Asking questions early is much easier than having to back track or start over.