There are a lot of factors involved in the process of completing the best possible church renovation project or new building construction. In addition to making sure that the exterior of the building is both strong and is strongly appealing, you need to make certain that the interior of the church also draws people in and invites them to stay.
Aligned with Your Vision
This is why it’s critical to take care in creating an interior design team and/or selecting a church architect for your church renovation project. The people you pick for this aspect of the project are going to have a monumental impact on your church community. This is because their work will become the welcoming container that holds your worship, your teaching…every aspect of your community’s life together.
It’s also critical that all of the decisions made by this team reflect the needs and personality of the church as a whole. Interior designers and church architects often have very strong feelings about what is right and wrong for a certain design, and they must be able to put the church’s needs over their own individual preferences.
In Love with Him
So how can you make sure to pick people who will do that? As we say in one of our free i3 webinars, there are two important qualities for the individuals that are involved in selecting the finishes for your church building interior. The first is that they love the Lord. When they love Him, they will understand that His needs come first—even over their own passion for creating the perfect design.
With a Heart for the People
The second important quality is that the members of your interior design team have a heart for the church and the people that you are trying to reach. This means really getting to know those people. Just like with any secular marketing project, you need to take advantage of market research in order to find out what appeals to the types of people you are trying to draw into your church community. Your team will also want to imagine what people need to feel when they enter and spend time in your facility. What feeling do you want them to have as they enter your building for the first time? What lasting impression do you want to give?
Then it’s important to make sure that you align those needs and desired impressions with the personality of your particular congregation. You also need to make sure that this can be accomplished within your church funding and budget.
If this seems like a daunting prospect, it might be a good time to consult with church building professionals. The McKnight Group offers services for the design and construction of new facilities, additions to existing buildings, and renovations for existing buildings. If you’re working with The McKnight Group, then interior design services would be part of the project package. If you’re not working with The McKnight Group, it might still be a good idea to consult with a professional.
For additional suggestions for creating an interior design team for your church building project, and other ideas on church building and renovations, we encourage you to sign up for one of our free i3 webinars.