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by Earl O. Myler
Why Do Building Programs Take So Long?
5 reasons, 6 solutions
By Earl O. Myler
 Reasons abound for procrastination in church building programs. A few of the most glaring factors behind unnecessary delays are:
1. Failure to set time limits.
It is not uncommon for building committees or church leaders to take four or five months to select an architect or church building firm. Though a building committee need not rush its selection, one month is more than sufficient to interview and select needed professionals. Further failure to schedule time limits for preliminary planning, completing design drawings, setting up congregational meetings and so on contribute to more delays. When planning a family vacation, it is amazing how everything is scheduled in detail so as not to waste a minute. Compare this with planning a building program!2. Unfamiliarity breeds confusion. Most laypersons are involved in a building program only once in their lives. Lack of understanding about what needs to be accomplished in a step-by-step manner can lead to confusion and cause delays. Time can be saved if building committee members familiarize themselves with the proper steps to a successful building program in the beginning.Many good books and articles have been written on the subject and are available at Christian bookstores. 3. The church is the third priority. With rare exception, the most dedicated elder, deacon, trustee or building committee member considers the church to be the third priority in his life. His business career generally is his first interest, followed by the welfare of his family, and then the church. If committee members realized they were wasting as much as $3,000 per month of the Lord’s money when little or nothing is accomplished in furthering the building program, perhaps they might shift their priorities.4. Fear of failure. Fear unconsciously leads to delays. All building committee members and church leaders asks the same questions at one time or another: Will the congregation vote affirmatively for the proposal? Will our congregation grow for us to be able to pay the monthly mortgage payments? Will our current offerings increase or decrease? Are we making the right decisions? With our current indebtedness, should we build or wait? Whether or not we realize it, the fear of failure unconsciously leads to delays in action. With the strength of prayer, we realize that God will help us. Whenever the fear of failure creeps into our thinking, we must face it squarely and defeat it. God wants us to grow.5. The “let’s wait” syndrome. The biggest time waster of all is a “let’s wait” attitude—until the summer months are over, until the first of the year, to see if offerings increase, and the list goes on.Better planning solutions With proper planning, you can save your church much time and thousands of dollars. Once it is decided that facilities are limiting the growth of the church, six guidelines can help rectify the problem. 1. Determine what needs to be accomplished and what committees will be necessary to do so. 2. Select for key committee positions competent, enthusiastic laypeople who want to get the job done. 3. Encourage the committee to develop schedules that coincide with the master schedule for completing the project. Using deadlines lends the plan a sense of urgency. Without deadlines, people tend to procrastinate. If there is no specific time by which a task must be completed, the job does not appear as important as it might be. 4. Regularly review the committee’s progress to ensure they are adhering to the schedule. Knowing they will report to church leaders makes committee members more apt to complete their duties. Such accountability keeps the church from losing time and money. 5. Take along the Lord. A building program is a strenuous exercise in leadership, decision-making, goal setting, discipline and duties. Often, it might feel like the entire building program is on your shoulders. Whenever that happens, remember the Lord is with you. First Chronicles 28:20 says, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee.” 6. Finish the task. It has been said that thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and putting thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world. When asked what it took for him to get to the top, the president of one successful company replied, “The same thing it took to get started: a sense of urgency about getting things done.” Earl O. Myler is the chairman and CEO of Myler, The Church Building People in Crawfordsville, Ind. To learn more, call 800.878.4945 or log on to www.myler.com to subscribe to the company’s Growth and Expansion Guidelines E-letter.
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