MOST BUILDINGS SUCH AS houses, hospitals, offices and plants are built for the purpose of accommodation. Periodically, however, one comes across a structure that was born out of a vision of and passion for what could occur inside its walls. Edifices like the Taj Mahal, the Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs are good examples of this. Their creators had a dream. I think the Tabernacle and temples described so eloquently in the Old Testament were works of vision rather than buildings of necessity. The description of the “heavenly city” given to John in Revelations certainly qualifies as a work of vision, as well.

Where your proposed building will sit on this need-vision spectrum depends, first and foremost, on your church leadership and, in particular, on your senior pastor. Vision-casting a building project begins with vision-casting a living and vibrant prevailing church in your community. The latter type of vision-casting includes a thorough strategic-planning process. You need committed leadership in place, and you need to believe in effective communication and modeling. You must know your vision, specific mission and core values. You should have your long-term goals and objectives clearly identified. Throughout the process, you must constantly review your progress, make any necessary adjustments and celebrate your successes. By doing these things, you’ll be on your way to achieving your ultimate goal, and your board, team and congregation will be with you in this vision for growth.

At this point, you’re ready to vision-cast a building that will fit your church’s strategic plan. While you agree that a prevailing church is much more than a structure, you also recognize that Scripture talks about worshipping God in community – in His holy house – and assembling together for this and other New Testament purposes.

Vision-casting a building project is different than what a building-design team does. Vision-casting a building occurs way before a design team is ever assembled. And in most churches, the vision must be cast clearly to three different audiences: your board, your staff and, finally, your congregation – preferably in that order. If you can’t convince your board to proceed, you will regret having excited your staff. Keep in mind that the success of a building program is highly dependent on the membership believing, understanding and owning the church’s vision for growth. All the parties must share, through communication and teaching, a relatively common picture of the future before they can be partners in a building project.

Unfortunately, not everybody is a visionary. Some people believe that, unless something is hopelessly broken, you don’t need to fix it. Visionaries, on the other hand, believe that even if something isn’t broken, it can still be improved. They don’t need a crisis to happen before they agree to changes. However, even though most people in your church want a building that stems from vision and passion instead of just needs, you will need to paint a picture of your current facility’s limitations. For starters, you’ll need to highlight your existing difficulties. Remind them of how many Sunday School classes meet together in one room, or how they have to juggle rooms for almost every event. Point out how cars have to block each other in the parking lot, or how you have no room for alternative youth services, which inhibits your ability to reach the postmodern community. Explain the things that are keeping your church from fulfilling its strategic plan.

Building projects cause casualties, and part of your vision-casting should include a warning of the risks involved. Church building-project experts will tell you that these projects:

1. Identify who is really with you and who is not. This knowledge will affect your relationships.
2. Identify those who are not tough enough to handle the pressures (time, effort and financial sacrifice) of a building project.
3. Cause some people to leave. Some will be turned off by the fundraising, and others will leave because they do not see a new building as a priority for your church.
4. Change your church. Because discomfort in new surroundings is normal, some of your most involved members may feel less a part of the church, even if they’re still carrying out their old roles.
5. Cost more than your finance team believed it would.

To offset the impact of these risks, you need to prepare yourself, your board, your team and your congregation. One way to do this can be established years in advance of any building project: Start leading your church in a creative way, with constant change built into your services and ministries. Make continuous change and improvement the modus operandi for the church and its programs.

Leaders need to put the horse before the cart and stick with Scriptural priorities. Your desire to help Christ build His Church must continue to be the driving force of any building project – that’s the real constant throughout a church’s lifespan. Ultimately, you and your people need to know where you’re going; the building only helps you get there. The last thing you want is someone saying, “We built it; now what?”

Your church’s ministry should drive the building design. A preferred design should never end up thwarting your desired ministry or driving what programs you can or cannot deliver. During the vision-casting phase, you need to be able to show how the proposed building will be designed to facilitate the strategically planned ministry of the church.

The fundamental question of “Can we afford it?” must be answered at the vision-casting stage. When addressing this concern, explain that you’re making an investment with good spiritual returns or writing a new chapter in the history of the church. Describe the power of unity with every member doing his best, and the fact that making a difference comes at the cost of sacrifice. Luke 14:28-30 directs us to consider the cost of discipleship. If following God’s plan for your church includes the building of your “tower,” your people must be challenged to consider the cost they’re willing to pay. If one believes that growth is in God’s plan for your church, and that a new facility contributes greatly to that growth, then one should also ask, “Can we afford not to?”

Vision-casting a building project is one of the most critical presentations a church leader will ever have to make. People need to be shown the vision (as well as the need), told the truth about risks, presented with the cost, challenged to participate beyond their normal tithes and motivated by the fact that their sacrifices are writing history.

Ken Godevenos has served on and/or chaired several church boards. He is a human resources and church consultant, mediator and executive director of SCA International. Call 905.853.6228 or visit www.accordconsulting.com for more information.