Is Now the Right Time to Build?
The goal of your church is to reach its community with the gospel of Jesus. Your church is experiencing growth. God is blessing your ministry, and people are responding. However, new ministries are needed to reach your community, but your church building is nearing capacity with its existing ministry offerings. Is now the right time to construct a new facility?
Deciding when and what to build is a very important step in the life of your ministry. The decisions you make will impact who you are as a congregation and what ministries you will offer in the future. Many times during periods of growth, Church leadership assumes adding space is the only option to sustain continued expansion. However, this is the perfect time to consider alternatives and exercise introspection about the surrounding community and the ministries designed to attract new membership. What is happening in your community? Who is moving in? Who is visiting your church? Who is joining your church? What do these people like to do in their free time? What are these people passionate about?
This process will lead you to evaluate what ministries would be effective in reaching your target groups. This is the point to dream big and ask yourself what ministries you think would be effective if space were not an issue. For example, if a church is in a community in transition from senior adults to young families, and young families have begun visiting your church, the church may want to expand ministries to families such as recreation, mother’s morning out programs, or a preschool program. You can then evaluate the space requirements for each of these ministries. Is there a way to renovate or repurpose your existing space to be able to offer these ministries? Will multiple services allow for enough space for needed education space?
“Being creative in your building space use can allow the church to offer additional ministries without creating an additional financial burden on your ministry.”
Being creative in your building space use can allow the church to offer additional ministries without creating an additional financial burden on your ministry. If a new building is your only viable option, you should design the building with flexibility to be used for multiple ministries and allow for future ministries.
At the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation, we are available to assist your church through this process. You can contact us at 844-351-8804.
Michael Rhine, SBTF Director of Church Lending