Five Observations About The "Current Normal"

I’ve heard the term “new normal” enough to begin thinking the “new” has worn off.  Just like a lot of things in our society, change happens fast, so “new” doesn’t stay “new” for long.  So what kind of things are going on in the “current normal” era of church facilities?

• Smaller projects, additions and remodel are in!  Multi-million dollar projects are fewer and fewer.  Churches struggle with the cost of projects and the difficulty of finding funds for larger projects, so, smaller is the way to go, and besides, they help maintain momentum.
• Staying put with remodeling as relocations are difficult to accomplish.  This is mostly due to the significant cost of replacing everything you have on a new site as well as taking on large funding campaigns.  Making the most of what you have by a small addition or remodeling existing space is something the church can accomplish producing effective results.
• Purchase an existing building. There is great value in buying an existing building at the right price and remodeling it.  This could be an existing church building or a warehouse, it does not matter.  Purchasing a “used” property and building at a good price is becoming a better way to relocate or start a multi-site church.
• Technology is becoming more of a requirement in the simplest church building.  Computer servers, access controls, LED lights, displays, and energy management systems (among others) are becoming items every church wants in their facility.  The cost of these items are diminishing while the savings from utilizing them is increasing!
• Building Code changes continue to add more to the cost of new construction and can even outpace inflation!  The new energy codes are changing the ways buildings can be built and negatively impact the cost of even the simplest structure.

One thing that won’t change in the past, current, new, or “future normal” is simply that people need to know Christ as their Savior and we need facilities that “work” in reaching people for Christ.  If your facility doesn’t help you reach people in a relevant way, we can help!