Posted on: October 28, 2008
The process of designing your building project is very important, as it will affect the availability of funding to meet your project goals, and will help determine the long-term future of your church.
The basic steps to be aware of when designing a building project are:
Know your vision and purpose – Understanding why you need to build is as important as understanding how to do it. It is critical in your planning phase to consider how your building will reflect your overall vision and purpose.
Assemble your team – Your core team needs to consist of three to five individuals who know the heartbeat of your church, its vision, and who are willing to roll up their sleeves for the long haul.
Property feasibility studies – In the early stages of planning, these studies will assure that you are building with local practicalities in mind (traffic, code requirements, land restrictions, etc).
Budget feasibility studies – An early step to a successful building project is to understand what you can afford. Budget studies are critical to make this determination.
Manage your project – There are rules to follow to assure your project comes in on time and within your budget. The critical relationship to make sure this happens is between the church and the construction manager.
Stay in the pulpit – Let’s face it. God called you to pastor your congregation, not to wear a hard hat! Implementing the steps above will help assure that you can avoid micro-managing your building project and leave it to your team.
Dave Dallenbach
Consultant
Foundation Capital Resources