Are you planning to build a new place of worship? Perhaps your congregation has outgrown the current space, or you want to expand your ministry to a new region. Whatever the case, church construction is an immense undertaking.
New church construction is an exciting initiative whose impact will be felt even for generations to come. However, as a pastor, church board, or member of a church building committee, embarking on a church construction can feel daunting.
Things can go south quickly without a proper plan, design, and the right partners.
Thus, you want a clear and transparent plan for new church construction without setting anyone apart. The process is intricate, from identifying your goals, budgeting, designing, and choosing a church site. Also, do you need to build administrative offices, classrooms, parking lot, church kitchen, and equipment space?
Remember, you’ve got no room for error in the design-build process. You must be spot on to ensure a streamlined process and save your congregation time and money.
But how do you go about a church construction process? Here are 6 things to be aware of during a new church construction in California.
1. Get Your Finances in Order
Before the church building project hits the ground, have a crystal-clear idea of your financial situation. If your church can’t finance the whole project, look for financing options before getting started. Consult with lenders or experts in church financing to ensure you get an affordable loan with friendly terms.
However, while borrowing is an alternative in church construction financing, you want to be cautious. Taking too much debt can lead your ministry into a financial crisis in the future. It’s important that you consider other funding options such as members’ contributions and cash savings.
Most churches organize special campaigns for building projects where members make pledges. The pledges can be paid on a monthly basis, or you can opt for one-time fundraising.
In this step, you also want to check whether you have adequate space for the new construction. If not, you’ll need to consider the cost of buying new land.
2. Church Building Committee
The success of the new construction will largely depend on the church building committee. Thus, a committee drawn from the fellowship should be established before any further planning is done.
The committee’s role will be ensuring the new construction is in line with the mission and vision statements of the church. Also, the committee is responsible for hiring a builder, architect, design-build team, and even coming up with a budget.
The committee will also need to provide regular updates to the congregation about the project’s progress. However, the members don’t have to know the actual construction process as the architect and contractor will handle this. The committee’s main role will be planning and ensuring the project is implemented according to standards.
3. Be Aware of Your Needs and Wants
In the planning phase, clearly distinguish between the new church’s must-haves and what you can do without. The church building committee will be very instrumental in this stage.
Here, it’s imperative to evaluate your current ministry and decide where you want it to be in the future. This involves critically analyzing your strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses for growth.
For instance, do you need to add more classrooms, or is a larger stage better? Or perhaps you need to build a fellowship hall to host numerous events that your church organizes.
In the planning process, make sure to invest in what will benefit the ministry and be ready to compromise on the rest.
4. Vet Potential Builders and Architects
After you already know what the new church should offer, it’s time to look for a builder and architect to actualize that. The experts you choose for your new construction will make or break the project. To avoid unnecessary delays and cost inflations, work with a highly reputable and experienced team of experts.
To get the names of reputable contractors, seek referrals from other local churches. These professionals should have extensive experience in church building projects. In fact, ask to see the various projects they have already completed and, based on the results, determine if that’s what you want.
Your builder and architect should also be willing to work according to your plan and design. If they can’t accomplish the intended result, they should inform you of this. Also, based on their experience, they should assist you in improving on the design to achieve your dream church.
5. Set a Budget
The church building committee is tasked with coming up with a budget. A budget will vary significantly depending on the design, size, location, and type of church to be constructed.
Also, the budget should consider the future operations and maintenance of the sanctuary. For instance, to save utility bills in the long term, it’s a good idea to build an energy-efficient church even though it might be more expensive. The aim is to think about the future and reduce expenses.
Also, when coming up with a budget, it should be flexible enough to accommodate any unforeseen changes during the project.
6. Consider Design-Build Approach
A design-build construction method is where the architect and builder work together and under the same contract. If the church building committee hires a design-build team, it becomes much easier to manage the project. They will only need to manage a single contractor, and one party will also be responsible for the work done.
Also, using this method will minimize change orders, thus expediting the project and saving time and money.
Hire a Church Construction Contractor Today
Building a new church is a generational investment. If planning a California church construction, you want to make sure it will serve both your ministry’s current and future needs. Proper planning and working with the best team are paramount to achieving this dream.
Now, you have a good foundation to start planning your church construction.
Are you looking for a church builder in California? At Reeve-Knight Construction Inc, we got you covered. With over 30 years of experience, we handle all types of construction to offer our clients top-quality results.
Contact us today for a free consultation.