Getting Started

Everyone has dreams. To embody your particular vision of the future, you may need to enhance your physical environment through a new expansion project and/or major renovation. As you begin your efforts, consider:

Researching your community—Be sure that you understand the changes occurring throughout your neighborhood and throughout your region. Consider cultural and population shifts, increasing or diminishing age groups, economic development, the number of after school programs, housing trends, and trends around social concerns such as homelessness, elderly care, etc.

Researching your house of worship—Be sure you have a solid grasp on your congregation. How has your membership changed over the years, where are you experiencing crowding (Remember the 80% rule: Once a room, sanctuary, or parking lot are filled 80%, visitors consider it "full."), changes in worship space, pastoral and staff needs, special requirements of members, and more.

Building a consensus—Reaching consensus is vital to the success of any major initiative and is particularly essential within ministry. Are clergy, lay leaders, staff, and others included in discerning the need to address your facility? At this point in your congregational dialogue, you don’t need a final answer on exactly what to do, but it is important to have a general sense that it is time to be deliberate about addressing your physical requirements.

Finding a partner—Most organizations find it helpful to work with a professional (or partner) to help articulate how to get from where you are to where you want to be. Finding a partner is essential when working on expansion and renovation projects. In fact, you will probably have more than one partner to help you through the multiple phases of your project. You will certainly want to network with other religious institutions/houses of worship to research their experience with any professionals or consultants.

Outlining your dream—As you continue the process of building consensus and working with a respected professional, outlining your dream is critical. Articulating your dream is a process of open dialogue among clergy, members, staff, and others. As you consider the future state of your facilities, plan them from the inside out. Spend time writing down required features of each room.

Although the word "dream" has been used, be sensitive to the fact that to dream may cause you and your congregation to develop a plan for something well beyond your ability to finance. You may want to use the word "creative" instead. In other words, how can you be creative in developing space—would multi-use space be more effective than designated space? Or when considering exterior structures, using pre-engineered rather than new construction structures. You have many options available to your house of worship.

As you work on clarifying your dream, the issue of financial support will inevitably arise. Funding for your project may come from a variety of sources: from the sale of a parcel of church property, gifts from members, bank financing, and/or church bonds.

At some point, you may choose to hire a financial stewardship consultant to assist with the capital appeal. The consultant may help develop a campaign theme, organize the solicitation, and prepare materials and presentations.

The final scope of your vision will be shaped by the elements discussed in this booklet as well as regulatory issues from local, county, state, and federal agencies, educational and playground standards, and insurance requirements. Physical dynamics such as the size of your property, land use/zoning regulations, set back distances, parking, driveways, wooded or green areas, and landscaping will also influence your final plan. All of these elements must be considered within the dynamics of your long range vision and how a facility supports that vision.