Should Your Church Build?
Should we invest in a new building? That’s a question we hear from Church leaders all the time. There are not very many reasons that a church should embark on a building project. Sadly, most churches begin a building project for the wrong reasons, but there are two valid reasons for a church to build.
Reason 1: God wants you to build
Obvious, right? But we couldn’t tell you how many churches we’ve talked to who haven’t even considered this.
“It’s the next logical step in our growth as a church.” Our response: Really? Does God always work in logical ways? We’ve found that His ways can be quite mysterious. You better make sure this is God’s plan, not yours.
“Our community is growing dramatically. We’re projected to have 5,000 new middle-class residents next year. The demographics show that 5% of those will be from our denominational tradition so we need a new building that can accommodate an additional 250 people.” Our response: A healthy church is a harvesting church. If you’re content to sit back and see who will show up, maybe nobody will. And if God is moving through your ministry, maybe you need to be ready for a lot more than 5%. You are lacking a clear mission or are not executing that mission.
Ultimately, the only way we know for you to find out what God wants you to do with your building is to fervently and frequently ask Him! Don’t assume that just because something makes sense to you, it is what God wants you to do.
“The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.”
“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.”
Reason 2: There is an eternal return
Any modern building represents a tremendous investment of financial, emotional, and time resources. Therefore, you should analyze this question as you would any investment, but with eternal returns in mind. Just like a businessman, you must remain focused on your pro-forma. But, unlike a businessman, you don’t have to gamble because your church is called to invest in eternity and is guaranteed an eternal reward. You have something unheard of in the business world: guaranteed returns! All that is left is to discern God’s calling and wisely follow the path forward.
“I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it. Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.”
Do We Have To Invest In a Building?
NO!!! A building might be exactly the wrong investment! The Lord has plans for you and they may not include a building. It may be the wrong way to accomplish your mission. As you consider this question there are three possible answers that we see:
A building is not the answer! ‘Build it and they will come’ worked for Kevin Costner but that isn’t for you! God may be calling you to address parts of your mission that have nothing to do with buildings. If this condition persists, administer scripture immediately, and apply firm pressure.
We need more/better/different space in order to accomplish our God-given mission. If this condition persists, call an architect immediately!
We have a pretty good space but we suspect it is holding us back. It doesn’t work/look/feel the way we need it to in order to fulfill our God-given mission. If this condition persists, call an architect immediately!
Don’t try to know all the answers before you call an architect. Answer these questions thoughtfully, then bring in additional resources to help you plan wisely. One of the pitfalls our clients constantly encounter is they wait too long before consulting with a qualified professional. It is an understandable mistake to assume architects don't have anything to offer before they start designing a building. In fact, this can be the most critical point to hire a good architect. If the foundational elements of a project are flawed before the architect becomes involved, it may be too late for us to help. When a good architect is involved early, we can help you make sure your foundational vision is reasonable and achievable, thereby ensuring positive outcomes.
“For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: …A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones.”
This article is part of our “Form Follows Mission” series, in which we provide practical answers to Church leaders’ most important questions regarding the intersection of worship and architecture. Read more here.
