Once construction begins on a new church building or remodeling project, it still isn’t time to sit back. The construction phase is a time when many of the final details must be determined, and when questions can come up at every step along the way. This is especially true if you are undertaking a remodeling project and need to be using your church building during the construction period.
What are Church Building Coordination Meetings?
We strongly recommend regular coordination meetings between church leaders and construction project managers during the construction of your church building. These meetings provide an opportunity for both client and contractor to talk about what’s happening, and for them to address the inevitable questions that will arise during the construction process. No matter how well the project is designed, changes will be necessary. It’s best to be able to talk about those at regularly scheduled meetings.
How Often Should You Meet?
The frequency of church building coordination meetings will vary, depending on the type of project and the preferences of church leaders and project managers. If you meet weekly, you will usually have quick, touch-base meetings. If you meet every other week or once a month, your meetings will likely be longer, as more questions will arise and more of the finishing details will need to be addressed at each meeting.
What is Discussed at Church Building Coordination Meetings?
If you are undertaking a remodeling project of an existing church building that you are currently using, you will need to discuss logistics on a regular basis, most likely weekly. This is to make certain that you are aware of how the ongoing construction project could affect your Sunday and weekday operations at each stage of the renovation process. Contractors will need to know your regular schedule of ministries and meetings (especially during the week), including all events happening in or near the construction zone. You will also need to keep the construction team informed about special ministry events that may change your regular building-use schedule and thus impact the ongoing remodeling work. On the other hand, if you are constructing a new church building in a different location or a portion of your property not currently utilized, then the subject matter of your meetings will focus mostly on finalizing details of the project.
With both new construction and remodeling projects, you will need to decide such things as color selections and keying schedules in coordination meetings. Keying schedules determine how many types of keys the building will have, whether there’s a master key system, and how many keys of each type you will need.
Constructing a new church building or doing a church remodeling project are complex tasks. Keeping communication going through the use of regular meetings is always recommended. To learn more about what else we recommend throughout the church design, construction and finishing phases, sign up today for our free i3 webinars. You can find the list of our upcoming topics here.