As a church leader, you likely recognize that your church is more than a building. And if you’re planning a church building project, it’s important to also acknowledge that the project’s success goes beyond architecture, materials, or construction. It’s essential that the building process is executed with integrity, and that the new or remodeled church building supports your vision for ministry.
People over projects
When you take on a church construction project, you are essentially hiring dozens of employees—if not more—to work for your church, people that become part of your team for months, a year, or even longer. These individuals, who may be local neighbors, will be learning firsthand what your church is all about. How they are treated and how your leaders, staff and attendees interact with them impacts whether they perceive you as people of integrity. In the past, we’ve seen clients go above and beyond to support these workers by offering free lunch, celebrating project milestones, or simply thanking them and acknowledging their hard work. This provides fellowship and an opportunity to both witness to them and invite them into what God is doing in and through your church.
Handling challenges with integrity
In almost any church building project, challenges arise. How you and your team handle obstacles in the midst of complex construction processes reflects the mission of your church and its values. Maintaining a Christian attitude, even in stressful situations, is always worth it and an ingredient for project success. While you may need to be firm with workers or other executors of your church building plan, never sacrifice your Christian integrity, especially when collaborating with someone you are trying to reach.
More than a building
Finally, we like to remind our clients that buildings never replace ministry. Will a shiny new building attract new people to your church? Most likely, yes. But, long-term, a building itself will not retain people. In fact, the opening day of your new or newly remodeled building is not the finish line, it’s just the beginning! Churches that engage in successful church building projects, rather than pouring all their resources into the bells and whistles of a state-of-the-art facility, often smartly reserve resources for the ministries that will take place in the facility upon its completion.
Outreach opportunity
While the church construction process may feel like a distraction from your church’s core mission, we encourage you to see it as an opportunity to further its reach and impact. When church leaders lead with integrity and prioritize their ministries throughout every step of the project, the heart of the church becomes known to those who may not yet attend.
To hear more success stories and gain additional tips on church building projects, we invite you to participate in one or more of our i3 webinars. Our goal is to help you make the right decisions and further your church’s ministry, and we have selected topics that we believe will help you better serve your church and your community through church design and construction.