As we covered in a previous post, a 20% growth rate in weekly attendance each year is a positive indicator that your church is likely to continue growing. When it comes to making space for your congregation and ministries, the two options are typically to expand an existing building or to build a new one. Each path forward comes with pros and cons that you’ll need to consider before you begin.
Is your average attendance consistently on “this side of uncomfortable,” while Christmas and Easter barely leave room for the Holy Spirit to move? Your congregation has grown… congratulations!
Does your church plan on starting a building project this year? Hallelujah! Your church is growing! Nothing quite matches the run and fun excitement of a church that is bursting with new members.
Has your congregation created a set of SMART goals for the new year?
Yes…SMART Goals. There are a million articles written every January about the transformative power of SMART goals. The illustrations are always the same and typically detail exercise gyms being overcrowded in January and nearly empty in February. As the story goes, the “January” people are armed only with “enthusiasm and desire,” but the February people are equipped with a SMART goal that endures even after the adrenaline fades. This familiar tale has a certain “truthiness” about it that makes it stick in our minds. Unfortunately, it utterly fails to mention that people will fail even with the best and well thought out goals in hand.
Prior to March of 2020, very few church members had lived through a pandemic. Although some congregations were better equipped than others to adjust to new normals, the effects of lockdowns and social distancing left most churches struggling to adapt. How could the church best continue its commission to “spread the gospel” amid calls to “slow the spread” of COVID-19?
Lockdowns and social distancing will eventually pass, and with a promised COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, you should examine whether your current or planned facilities will be equipped to handle worship in the coming year. Two areas come immediately to the forefront of the discussions.
Once you’ve decided to begin a construction project, you’ll need to secure your financing. If you will be applying for a mortgage or construction loan, a little financial prep-work will streamline the process.
Enthusiasm is contagious. When churches start discussing expansion, excitement fills the air, and visions of the “possible” often override the “practical.” During these times of blessing, caution and good stewardship mustn’t give way to over-zealousness. Not every suggestion, idea, or plan presented is in your best interests, and this includes input from professionals.
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