Recently our church completed a renovation project of our sanctuary and surrounding education space. This portion of our campus had not been updated for more than 30 years. It was a huge endeavor. From the planning stage to completion took the better part of a year.
During this process I learned some valuable lessons that I hope will be helpful to pastors and churches considering a building project.
1. Pray! I know this seems obvious but do not be so sure of yourselves that you miss out on what the Lord might be saying. Do a prayer emphasis for the project. Lead your church through prayer prompts for a set amount of days. Do not embark on any significant endeavor without first seeking the Lord in prayer.
2. Ownership of the project must come from the church. Don’t get me wrong someone has to be in charge and that will likely fall on the shoulders of the pastor, but the driving force and greatest desire for the project needs to come from the church, not the pastor. Let the church drag you into the project, not the pastor dragging the church into the project.
3. Do not follow the “field of dreams” philosophy. If your church averages 100 in worship each week you do not need to build a 1000 seat auditorium. In a town with a population of 2000. It can be easy to believe that “if you build it they will come,” but instead work together with wise counsel to develop a plan that will meet the needs of your growing church and by faith leave room for the Lord to continue the growth. When stewarding the resources of the church risk management is a must. This does not mean that faith will not be required, but instead work toward a balance that results in a “win-win” scenario.
4. Select a building committee with expertise in the specific project. If you are remodeling the women’s bathroom do not select six men for your committee. If you are adding a childrens ministry wing select members who have children! Your committee should reflect expertise and experience in the specific project.
5. Do a pre-bid meeting. One of biggest risks in any building project is the choice of contractor. All of us want quality workmanship and to steward the resources of the church wisely. None of us want to end our contractor friends or connections, especially if they are church members. So schedule a pre-bid meeting where you personally invite all contractors who might be interested in bidding the project to attend a meeting with your project committee. There provide them all with a pre-bid sheet that covers the scope of work, design features with specific design choices, and clear expectations for timeline, cleanliness, and documentation. Walk the site with the committee and the contractors and cast the vision for the project, answer any questions, and set a day for bids to be submitted.
6. Create a financial plan for how you are going to pay for the project. Once you have received bids you now have an idea of what it will cost to complete the project and you must clearly spell out and agree on how you will pay for the project. Now add 18-20% to the total of your selected bid. Projects take time and prices change month-to-month. It is imperative that your church agrees on this financial plan. This financial plan should be voted on and agreed upon months before any dollars are ever spent.
7. You are now the “general contractor.” You of course will hire a general contractor but he or she will still need answers to project related questions on a daily basis. You need to be prepared for this project to require a significant time investment from your already busy life and ministry. If you are not able or willing to do this you will need to delegate that responsibly to a trusted leader in the church. Problems will arise, design choices will need to be altered, delays will happen and you need to be prepared to handle the additional leadership workload the project requires.
8. Plan a dedication/celebration of your new space at least 3 months after its completion. You will be tempted to celebrate sooner, but resist the urge. Give yourself and the church time to recover from the added time commitment of the project. Settle back into a comfortable rhythm. This will give you time to fix any lingering issues and ensure everything is just right. Mentally, emotionally, and physically you will need this time to recharge and gain perspective. If you move too quickly into your celebration and dedication following the completion of the project it will feel like the “end.” Instead you want your celebration and dedication of your new space to mark the “beginning.”
Any change to your church is a big deal, but it does not have to be a deal breaker. It should be an exciting day when a church recognizes its potential and opportunity to enhance and strengthen its influence for the Kingdom through a building project. But keep things in perspective and remember our hope is not in buildings and flashy things but in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.