Step 1: Count the Cost (Months 0-18, as shown below)

This is the most important stage and one that cannot be rushed. Church leaders must examine what’s needed and what resources are available (land, money, lay leadership, etc.) to make it happen.

Phase A: Mission and Infrastructure (Months 0-6)

For any project to succeed, a church must have unity. One of the biggest mistakes any church can make when undertaking a new building is for the leaders to have a good vision for it, but then poorly communicate it to their congregation. Or, perhaps the project vision is poorly aligned with the congregation’s larger vision.

It is imperative that churches hold meetings to compose a concise mission that is clear, repeatable and appealing to the broad base of the church. This will help promote unity as you move forward and show the congregation that the project is more than just a physical task; it’s a ministry. The building is more than a building; it has to impact the community it serves in a meaningful way.

Once the mission has been agreed upon, the internal infrastructure (key decision- makers and committees) should be put in place. Those decision-makers should consider funding, advertising, ministering during the building process, and the initial hospitality. The key here is to remove surprise: Each committee formed must provide regular, weekly updates on what’s happening and what’s upcoming for the rest of the congregation, so everyone stays on board with the project.

Phase B: Commitment and Vision (Months 6-12)

The first questions that always arise in this stage consist of where the church will build, if there is enough space and how the church will pay for it. It is during this stage that consultants can provide a needs-analysis workbook to help them become clear on what they really require and how much space it will take.

The committees will need to decide where the money is going to be spent and weigh the cost of construction and the cost of ministry. A good builder will be able to provide timely financial needs analysis that can explain how much you can afford, what payments to expect and what financing options may be available.

At this point, the building’s vision needs to be hammered out and agreed upon. Once that’s done, the vision should be set in stone. Changing the vision midstream always adversely affects the church and the project. An owner’s representative should be appointed to ensure the vision is followed, and the owner’s rep should never be the pastor.

While it’s advantageous for the owner’s rep to have experience in construction, the owner’s rep must also be passionate about the ministerial vision, committed to clear communication, extremely organized, and capable of forging a solid relationship with the builder and the architect. The owner’s rep is the “Nehemiah” of the process, a person of strong faith and a strong churchperson. Often, owner’s reps may have to make decisions that hurt someone’s feelings, and it’s best coming from someone who has a strong sense and commitment to the vision.

Phase C: Bringing in the Trinity of Building (Months 12-18)

Now it’s finally time to start thinking about who will design and build your new building. A church needs to establish a good relationship with an architect and builder from the very outset, and it would be a good idea to bring in a civil engineer, as well.

It’s important to find an architect and builder who have experience designing and building churches, as there are many unique aspects. Make sure the civil engineer you hire has a firm grasp of the local requirements and has worked successfully with the city in the past. A bidding process is intrinsically contentious and only assures that you feel better about the initial savings. The process hardly ever assures top quality for low-lifecycle costing or long-term stewardship. While a bidding process may help you find a cheap bid, it may not help you find the best people or build the best church.

With an architect, builder and civil engineer in the process from the start, the church can come up with the real cost of construction, including the necessary site plan and permitting fees, while keeping an eye on long-term operational costs that occur post-construction.