Step 1 – Read all the Free Stuff: Browse through all our site to look at all the articles, case studies, examples, and resources. We certainly recommend that you read the Our Team page, as we believe it is important to know those who labor among you.

Step 2 – Call or Email with Questions: The only bad question is the one left unasked. The Scripture promises us that it is “by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 24:6). Often we are able to answer your questions in a brief conversation saving time, effort, and resources.

Step 3 – Discuss a Conference: At some point, you will be ready for full discussions and presentation.  For those leaders who are interested in knowing more, the typical process is usually a visit or web presentation to introduce ourselves and our concept to the other leaders of the Church to have more in depth discussions and questions/answers dealing specifically with your Church. There is no charge for this service.

Request a Personal Web Presentation – This service is with no obligation to you or your Church and provided free of charge.

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2. Trinity and Harvest Pointe kick off planning

As you get started on a building project, you will find that one of the major decisions you will face is selecting the design team, and specifically, the architect.  Selecting an architect seems like a daunting chore.  How do you know that the architect you select will design a building that meets your needs both functionally and aesthetically?  How does your architect fit into the entire building process?  If you are considering a design-build scenario as an option, understand that the architect works for the builder, not you.  Therefore, you should use the same criteria here to choose the builder, as you would if you were choosing an architect directly.  The following are some things to consider.

Artistic Capability

I have heard it said that it takes the same amount of bricks to build a pretty building as an ugly building.  Just as it takes the same amount of paint for Rembrandt to produce a painting as it does me, but Rembrandt’s is worth much more.  Apparently, the arrangement of the elements makes some difference- so too with architecture. No one seems to want an ugly building.  So when you are starting out, look at an architect’s previous work, what do you think?  Do you like it?  That’s a starting point, but of course it’s not that simple. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and a good architect should design what the client likes, not necessarily what you like (or even what the architect likes.)  With enough previous works, though, you should get an idea of the architect’s capabilities.

Communication

The second criterion of choosing your architect is how well you can communicate with him.  Do you feel understood when you speak with him?  Do you feel like your ideas are likely to be incorporated?  Does he ask questions?  Does he understand your vision?  What about your ministry?  After all, this is the person who will play a major role in transforming your vision into a tangible structure; you must have clear lines of communication.   This is a personal chemistry question, not a reflection of technical talents or ability.

Technical Ability

Technical ability is, however, very important to your project.  The architect you choose should be experienced in the types of structures and the industry in which you are building. It is also important to differentiate between the architecture firm, and the architect working on your project.  Insist that you meet the architect that would be assigned to your project. It is not enough to have a good rapport with the management or sales team of the firm, they are not creating your design.  Ask the architect to bring a set of previous drawings to your meeting.  Compare the detail in the drawings.  More detail in the plans reduces surprises in construction.

Church Design Experience

Finally, it is important that your architect have church design experience. If you are building a traditional style church, it is easy to see that structural methods and elements are different than typical commercial projects.  It goes without saying that experience in that arena would be helpful, but what if you are building a more contemporary structure where your desire is to look more like a commercial structure?  Wouldn’t it make sense to go with a commercial architect or builder?  The answer, maybe surprisingly, is ‘no’.   The reason for this is that architectural design is more than creating a set of building plans; it is a process of translating vision to a tangible, useful structure.  This is a much more complicated process – particularly for a church.

There are social, political and spiritual aspects and ramifications in a church project that differ dramatically from a commercial project.  You are working in committees, and you need consensus to move forward.  There are spiritual forces at play within your committees and congregation.  You are working with voluntary labor, voluntary contributions, and therefore popular opinion.  All of these things lead to more time to make decisions and a significant backlash if not handled properly and with care.  It is critical that the architect you choose is adept and experienced in this setting.

Fees

Budget is a reality.  Make sure you know what you will be spending before you spend it, and that it fits within your means.  It is worth noting here, that a properly designed building will save you money at construction and in the future, so don’t be tempted to try to cut costs in the planning stage.  You may end up paying for it many times over.

Secondly, understand what you are paying for.  Architectural drawings come in two phases.  The first is design drawings, the second is construction drawings.  The second is considerably more expensive.  Some firms offer services that allow you to know your final building cost before ever finalizing the construction drawings so you don’t pay for a full set of construction drawings if the project budget doesn’t match your expectations.  This is done by incorporating all project participants in the design- a process known as integrated project delivery (IPD.)  This differs from a design-build in that all parties are chosen by and work for you directly rather than for the builder and it is done before a construction contract is ever defined.

In the end, there are many qualified architects around, and many qualified church architects, for that matter.  No one architect or architectural process is right for everyone, so do your homework.   Also remember that the architect is only one member of the team including a church planner/consultant, builder, financier, and others that work together along with the staff at your church to contribute to your project.   Know your strategy before choosing the team members.  Proverbs says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”  (15:22.)   If chosen properly, in light of the entire team, your architect can be a great asset for your building project and to the subsequent success of your ministry.  Be sober of mind, be diligent, and use the resources that you have available to you; God will do great things through your ministry.

Jeff Hess is a project navigator at Trinity Design Group in Murfreesboro, TN.  He coordinates the long-range planning, architectural design, and construction administration of facilities for his clients with TDG, a firm that specializes in architecture for ministry.  Find more information at www.trinitydesigngroup.com

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by Don Emmitte, DMin

The Wisdom of Solomon states: Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22 NIV). Another way of saying that in reference to a building project is excellent leaders create excellent facilities. Selecting the right leaders, assigning the right responsibilities to the right people, recruiting, training, evaluating, and retaining the working body are some of the keys to a successful church building project.

First Steps

One of the most important steps for the Executive Building Team (EBT) is organizing how it plans to work together on the project. In order for the team to be a cohesive unit, each person on the team needs a clear description of what they plan to contribute to the team. In general, the following characteristics play a specific and vital role in making the team effective:

• Compelling Purpose (please see the article: The Strategic Master Planning Process – Clarity in the Process of Growth for more information).
• Clear Roles.
• Recognized Leadership.
• Effective Processes.
• Sound Relationships.
• Accurate Communication.

Team Selection Criteria

Within your congregation God has already gifted the individuals necessary to work together for a successfully campaign. Each person to be chosen has the talents and knowledge into which you may draw. This eventual coalition is the Executive Building Team. There will ultimately be “spin-offs” of this team into task forces which will consider, investigate, take action on and report all aspects of the building project as assigned. As you can see the responsibility of this delegation is a heavy one.

Some basic criteria to use in choosing those who would serve on the EBT are as follows:

• They must look at the whole, not merely the parts.
• They must have a love and passion for the mission of the church.
• They must be people of grace, compassion, and prayer.
• They must have the capacity to look long range.
• They must share reciprocal trust and respect of the congregation and community.
• They must work well together as a team.
• They must bring wisdom, judgment, vision, and common sense to the team.

The Organization of the EBT

There are many ways to organize a building team, but by far the best model is a small team with congregational task forces related to the core team. The optimum number for most churches is somewhere around seven to nine members. Each core team member represents larger task forces organized around specific ministry needs. Some suggested responsibilities to be represented on the EBT are:

• Pastor(s) and/or Chairperson
• Prayer
• Communications
• Growth and Ministry
• Finance and Legal
• Furnishings
• Existing Property
• Existing Facilities
• Recorder

Obviously, the choices are numerous and varied according to the individual needs of the church. The key is to provide leadership to the project without becoming large and unwieldy. The utilization of task forces will allow maximum congregational participation while maintaining effective team working relationships. Each of these task forces should be guided by the vision and mission of the church as it relates to the distinctive areas of concentration (i.e.: worship, small groups, age groups, community ministries, etc.). Task forces typically should consist of eight to fifteen people. Depending on the scope of the project, you may find the following types of task forces helpful:

• Parking, landscaping, exterior lighting, and signage
• Worship, sanctuary, chapel
• Music groups
• Audio/video/lighting
• Interior design
• Fellowship, recreation, community centers
• Food service
• Children
• Students
• Single adult ministries
• Senior adult ministries
• Adult ministries
• Administration and volunteer’s work areas

After the EBT is Organized

After each Executive Building Team member has accepted their role, it would be wise to assist the chairperson in selecting potential task force members. The leadership should agree that each EBT member should enlist one or two key persons whom they want on their committee, and then provide an opportunity for every person who wishes to volunteer to serve on the committee in which that person is most interested. In some cases the Committee on Committees appoints members for all committees, and then attempts to secure their agreement to serve on the committee. Whatever method is used it is important to involve as many persons as possible in this phase of the church building project. Do not rely on public announcements or newsletter articles alone to secure volunteers. Some people who ought to be involved will not volunteer. Members of the EBT should make personal calls on any persons who have not volunteered, and encourage them to “sign up” as a member of the committee of their choice, or one suggested by the team.

Once the leader of each task force is organized it is time to have a general meeting to get everyone on board. It is strongly recommended that the entire scope of the project be discussed early in this phase of the program. There must be no question of unity or purpose. If consensus cannot be reached with every member on the need to build, then they should not be part of the building program. Members can and will disagree on many details, but they must be unified in the purpose and goal for building.

The next meeting of the group should be for training and education. Each task force should be instructed as to the specific responsibilities in the presence of other chairpersons. The purpose of this meeting is so that each task force understands how it works together as a part of a larger whole in order to make the project successful. Each task force member has a circle of influence, and as they spread the information about what they are doing and enlist the support of others, they will be able to do so in the context of the entire program. This process builds consensus and confidence in the success of the program. Remember one of the goals of the project is to increase member involvement in the church. Increasing member involvement increases ownership in the church. Increased ownership in the church increases stewardship.

Final Reminders

1. Set target dates for progress reports, and for the task forces to have their work completed and their written reports presented to the Governing Body.

1. The EBT and/or the Governing Body of the church should provide the task forces with as much resource material as possible for their work.

1. IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TECHNICAL COMPETENCE AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY ALWAYS CHOOSE SPIRITUAL MATURITY! I cannot emphasize this point enough. Inevitably, in any construction project, there will be issues that arise that were not anticipated. The manner in which conflict is resolved will often determine the success or failure of the project! With that in mind, I offer the following review of conflict resolution for Building Committees based in the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Church at Corinth:

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 NIV).
Conflict is not necessarily bad or destructive. As people reconciled to God by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we believe that we are called to respond to conflict in a way that is remarkably different from the way the world deals with conflict. (cf.: Matthew 5:9) The most important question in conflict is, “How can I please and honor the Lord in this situation?” We should believe that glorifying God happens when we take time to remember God’s role in our conflict and then respond to it His way. As Christians, we believe that God sacrificed dearly, involving himself in all our conflicts. Therefore, we have the privilege and responsibility to consider God’s perspective on the issue by trusting, obeying, and imitating Him. (cf.: Proverbs 3:4-6; John 14:15; and Ephesians 5:1). Therefore, here are some steps to take in appropriate conflict resolution:

• § Prepare (pray, get the facts, seek godly counsel, develop options)
• § Affirm relationships (show genuine concern and respect for others)
• § Understand interests (identify others’ concerns, desires, needs, limitations, or fears)
• § Search for creative solutions (prayerful brainstorming)
• § Evaluate options objectively and reasonably (evaluate, don’t argue)

It does take a lot more work to “do it right,” but it is always worth it in the end. When James Garfield (later President of the U.S.) was principal of Hiram College in Ohio, a father asked him if the course of study could be simplified so that his son might be able to go through by a shorter route. “Certainly,” Garfield replied. “But it all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, He takes a hundred years. When He wants to make a squash he requires only two months.” Lots of folks are willing to produce squash. However, the church needs to produce oaks in our day. Short cuts often end in disaster.

A Note about the Author: Don Emmitte, Church Navigator with Trinity Design Group, is a new “old hand” in church growth, facility design, and management. After serving for over thirty years as a pastor of churches with over two thousand resident members, founder of Grace Restoration Ministries, and author of Morning Devotionals, he joined the team at TDG in 2009 to expand his passion: helping churches reach their God-given goals by making the most of their resources. For more information, contact Don at demmitte@trinitydesigngroup.com, or visit the web site at www.GraceRestoration.org.

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