When God recruited Noah to build the ark, there were no building or permit requirements or legal codes by which to build, no engineer to be hired to design the boat nor any problems getting the wood.
But today, codes and laws do exist. It pays for a church to be well informed and prepared as it desires to build or expand facilities — financially, legally and for the sake of being faithful with the time, people and resources with which it has been entrusted.
The building services division of the
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), whose purpose is to encourage the overall health and growth of the local church, states the most important thing a church and its leadership can do in the pre-building process is to pray.
“God has the plans,” Gary Swafford, director of building services, said to a group attending a church building workshop recently held in Decatur and Montgomery. “We are to seek those plans in prayer.”
According to Swafford, many churches are in danger of beginning building projects when God hasn’t even given them permission to start.
He said there is also a tendency for the church staff to do all the building project’s legwork.
“The best plan is to train leaders who will head the project,” Swafford explained.
“Church leaders take pride in projects as most of the ideas, brainstorming and vision are shared among them, not just the staff.
“Allowing plenty of time for the church to process the building idea is good; allow time for discussion,” said Gary Nicholson, an architect from LifeWay Christian Resources. “Get off to a good start. Make a strong, authentic case for the building based on the church’s mission statement,” he advised.
Nicholson explained that master-site planning is of the utmost importance because it allows leaders to study the church’s present space, then project the space it needs for the future so that the growth expansion fits into the overall vision of the church.
He suggests that churches plan for their needs plus their growth. “Where do you expect to be two to three years from now?” Swafford asked. “It has more to do with the vision of the church than the placement of buildings.”
According to Swafford, staying focused on the church’s original mission and vision statements are essential. Straying from these will cost resources.
Tommy Haralson, a SBOM building services consultant, said churches need to stay familiar with the total cost of the facility being built.
He said that when churches receive bids on the total cost, they assume the bid includes the furnishings, utility costs, insurance, monthly power bills and janitorial supplies.
Al Handley, a designer and building manager from Marshall Construction, Montgomery, said, “It’s called the ‘Big Surprise Day.’ It’s the day the final price is quoted. The church didn’t quite anticipate everything; it just assumed.” he said. “Then you’ve wasted the time of the contractor and the architect,” he added.
“Budgeting is also key here,” Handley stated. “Don’t try to spend more than you can afford. And that’s not against faith.”
Handley said that in taking steps of faith, it is important not to let funds dictate what the church builds, warning that “there is still a danger in setting too high a goal.”
“As a rule of thumb, a church’s financial capacity is usually two to two-and-a-half times their last year’s income,” Swafford said.
“So, if a church says it wants to build a $500,000 building and last year’s income was $80,000, then that church is way off the charts,” he added.
Swafford said that many churches would do well in assessing the physical and spiritual needs of their areas and what other churches are already doing to meet them.
Adding that if the Methodist church in town has an effective senior citizens ministry, the Baptists might pray about starting a ministry to reach the single moms in the area who need to work but have no one to help with their kids.
He suggested that perhaps the building committee should consider planning a preschool in the new facility.
Finally, Swafford said, call for the guidance of building experts.
Swafford said the SBOM has a team who will come to any church and offer free
master-site planning advice.
For more information, call Swafford at 1-800-264-1225.
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