Have questions about the church design and church process? Attending The McKnight Group’s free i3 webinars is one of the best ways to get them answered. In our recent i3 webinar on building your dream church, several thoughtful questions were raised. Below, we’re sharing three of the most important questions, and the answers we gave, so you can move forward in your own church building journey with clarity and confidence.

Q. What Are Common Mistakes Churches Make?

One of the most frequent missteps in church building starts with the building committee itself and having too many people on it. Bigger is not better when it comes to a church design committee. We recommend working with five to seven people. Once you get into 15 or 20 members, the group becomes unwieldy and decision-making slows dramatically. The key is not the number of people, but the right people.

A healthy committee should include:

  • Church leadership representation
  • A financially savvy individual who understands the church’s budget and limits
  • Ministry representatives directly impacted by the project

For example, if you’re designing a worship center, you need voices who understand how worship functions, platform needs, audio-visual requirements, and service flow. If you’re building a children’s ministry space, you want children’s staff at the table. They know how check-in works, how classrooms function, and what safety measures are critical.

Another common error is assuming that because this is a construction project, the committee should consist primarily of people who understand construction.

While construction knowledge can be helpful, that’s not the primary qualification.

You’re not just building a structure, you’re shaping ministry. The most valuable voices are those who understand your church’s vision and where it’s going. They know how ministry functions week in and week out. Church design should reflect how you serve and worship, not just how walls are framed.

Q. What’s the Most Common Regret After Completion?

This question often sparks knowing smiles: “We wish we had built it bigger.” It’s the most common regret we hear. But it’s also important to view it realistically.

Nine times out of ten, churches built exactly what they could afford at the time. It’s easy, after move-in, to wish for more square footage, just like it’s easy to wish for a bigger home or a newer car. But most congregations made responsible decisions based on available resources.

What we’ve found is this: churches that plan well tend to have fewer regrets.

Planning is critical in the church design phase. We often say, “It’s easier to change ink on paper than walls in the field.” Adjusting drawings during design is simple and cost-effective. Making changes once construction has begun, or worse, after the building is complete, is expensive and disruptive. Church leaders who invest time in thoughtful planning, future growth projections, and flexible design typically look back with satisfaction. Those who rush the planning process may later say, “If only we had thought about that.”

Q. How Much Contingency Should We Carry?

Budgeting is one of the most sensitive aspects of any church building project, and contingency planning is an essential part of responsible stewardship. So how much contingency should you carry?

The answer depends on the type of project. If you’re building a brand-new facility on a well-documented site, with soil borings completed and solid information available, a contingency of 5–7% may be appropriate.

However, if you’re renovating a 100-year-old building with limited documentation and unknown conditions behind the walls, you may want to carry 10–15%. Renovation projects carry more uncertainty. Unknown utilities, structural surprises, or outdated systems can introduce unexpected costs.

It’s important to understand that contingency is primarily for the church’s comfort. It’s part of your overall project budget, not necessarily money handed to the contractor upfront. It’s there to provide peace of mind and flexibility if unforeseen issues arise.

Ultimately, the right percentage is the one that allows your leadership team to feel confident and prepared.

We Have More Cost Questions to Cover

During the webinar, we received several additional questions about estimating costs for various budget items in the project. We’ll address them in our next blog post. Meanwhile, if you’re considering a church building project, we invite you to sign up for our free i3 webinars that interest you. You can find topics and registration details on our website