Five mistakes Churches make when building facilities:
There are a lot of Church buildings under construction around the country now. Here are some common mistakes we have seen churches make when building:
Lack of planning-Strategically planning for a building expansion takes time, effort and energy but will save dollars and frustration in the end.
Hiring an Architect too soon-There is a tremendous amount of information a Designer will need from the church such as how the building is to intersect with the church’s ministry delivery style. Is the church currently doing ministry in a way that is dictated by the building? Would the ministry style change with a different style of building? These questions should be addressed before engaging an architect.
Building a Building that is out of balance-It is of little value to over-build one area of the building if there is insufficient space in other areas. Churches must be balanced in the areas of seats in the Worship Room, number of parking spaces and appropriately-sized space for Children’s ministry.
Over or Under building-Building too big will cost more than the Church can afford to pay. Building too small may be even more costly in terms of lost momentum.
Failure to count all the costs-Construction is only a part of the overall Project Budget. Soft Costs such as design and engineering, Audio/Video/Lighting, Furnishings, etc are normally about 20%-30% in addition to the construction cost.
A great tool for planning your church facility is our proprietary Strategic Assessment for Facility Expansion designed exclusively for Churches.
