As a church community grows, so do the needs for larger rooms, additional facilities, more functional areas, and bigger parking lots — to name a few. So, if your church has outgrown its current building and you are interested in building a new one, here is some valuable information to understand as you move forward in your building process.

Although building a new church requires the greatest upfront investment versus other short-term options, it is exactly that — an investment. When wisely invested and thoroughly planned for, your new church building can offer a long-term, cost-efficient solution for your growing church community. Building a church from the ground up allows you to customize every aspect of the building thoroughly and will enable you to plan for anticipated future growth. There are also fewer surprises and issues with a new building because you know exactly what you need and what you are getting.

How to Prepare

Pray for Direction

Before beginning the process of a new church build, it’s essential to make sure the process has been prayed about and prayed for. Keep God’s direction at the core of each decision. He knows exactly what your church needs and what it will need in the future.

Establish a Clear Budget

Establishing a clear budget is vital. Knowing how much your church can spend without stretching itself uncomfortably will help minimize stress throughout the church-build process. A benefit to a new church build is having the ability to control all aspects of your finances during and after your building project.

Identify Needs and Pain Points

Understanding your facility’s current pain points will help guide the solutions in your new church building. In addition, identifying what kind of function and flow the church should have will aid in determining your future church size in the planning process.

Find a Church-Building Partner

Finding an architect specializing exclusively in church buildings and worship centers will give you confidence that your church-building process is done with expertise, integrity, and a firsthand understanding of ministry functions. Deciding on a church architect as soon as possible will help tremendously. Look for a church architect to oversee and guide all the moving pieces from start to finish.

If your church architect does handle the process as a whole, they will immediately form a team that will supervise all aspects and details of the building process. This takes a lot of the stress and worries off of you and lets your building professionals manage all the details along the way. You will be kept informed and remain the decision-maker.

Next steps

Once you have completed the preparation and know what your church needs, it’s time to take the next steps! Don’t be overwhelmed with these next steps. Your church architect will guide you through every step and ensure all parties involved stay on budget and within the deadlines.

Acquiring Land

The first step will be acquiring land. Buying property sounds simple. However, many factors come into play when choosing land for a new church building. Some key elements considered are:

size of the property
location
contour
soil conditions
environmental conditions
possible existing easements

You may have already purchased the property you want to build on. Or perhaps, you feel completely overwhelmed trying to figure out where your church should be located. Or maybe you have land in mind but are unsure if it’s a good investment or even sufficient to build a church on. In any of these scenarios, your church architect can help find land, validate whether it’s a good investment, and assess the quality of land terrain and the soil.

Conceptual Design

The next step of the building process is Conceptual Design which takes about two months to complete. At this time, an overview will be created that establishes and explains your church’s vision. It will address previous problems your church had, what the solutions are, and how those solutions will be put into place. It will also give a detailed church floor plan and budget for each development phase. Think of this as a big-picture game plan.

Full Architectural Engineering Design

Next is Full Architectural Engineering Design (A&E), which is completed in about 3-4 months. Architectural Engineering is defined as “the art and science of engineering and construction as practiced regarding buildings.” This is when your church’s vision comes to life. The Full Architectural Engineering Design gives specific details and plans for every element of the planning, design, construction, and function of your church. From building materials, to HVAC placement, to final touches, and everything in between. You can consider this the micro, detailed game plan.

Construction

The last step is construction. This phase takes approximately 10-12 months. The physical construction of your church is just one element of the construction phase. When the foundation is laid, or the walls come up, it’s easy to see the building coming together. However, many things are happening behind the scenes, such as submittal reviews, construction progress meetings, requests for information (RFI’s), architectural supplemental instructions (ASI’s), construction pay applications, and other similar services. After construction has begun, a good church architect continues to manage these details and remains your representative to the very end.

What should you expect during your church building process?

Regular Communication

A lot of communication will happen through the entire church-building process, so keeping clear lines of communication is vital. You will receive information and updates consistently; likewise, you may have consistent questions or comments. This is why it’s important for your church to designate one key representative from your church for direct and ongoing communication. This representative will receive information from all building parties and relay that information to you and your key church individuals.

Monthly Meetings

You will be a part of monthly on-site meetings. You and your team will walk the grounds, oversee the current phase, and address any concerns. This is an excellent opportunity to see firsthand how the building process is going and where it is headed. In addition, you can discuss the current phase and conditions in person with key members.

Project Close-out Tasks

When construction is about two months from completion, it will be time to fore-date the delivery of furnishings and other necessities such as audio, video, and lighting to ensure that your church can be immediately opened and used. Again, if you have chosen a church architect that handles the entire process, these tasks will fall under their management.

Building a church from the ground up has many steps and stages, but with a clear vision, an accurate budget, and the right team, it is possible and worth it! Your new church building will be a comfortable, functional, and safe place for your church family to connect, and it will also continue to serve your church community for many, many years to come!

Building a Church from the Ground Up