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BuildingChurch.net

Helping churches disciple believers to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

ALSO, in related news, I am now listed as the FIRST and ONLY Certified Church Consultant in the state of Maryland on the ChurchAnswers.com web site:

https://churchanswers.com/find/church-consultant/?state=md

I can finally let the cat out of the bag. I am now a Certified Church Consultant. Over the next couple of months, I will be looking for opportunities to put this certification into practice. If your church is interested in getting a comprehensive consultation and/or a facility analysis done, let me know!

This company is also known for its continuing education programs and much more. Perhaps it will give me some ideas to revive this blog. But, no promises. We shall see.

Happy 2016!

• When it’s “your house,” you often don’t notice the wear-and-tear of everyday life.  Having fresh eyes come in and be honest can help you see the dirt and grime and what needs to be updated. Do your paint colors and carpet still scream 1985?  Are they actually that old?
• Most church-going people forget what it is like to walk into the building for the first time.  Where’s the bathroom?  Where do I take my kids?  Where’s the front door?  Churches can do a lot of little things to make the answer to these questions much easier.
• As an architect, I have discovered that a LOT of churches just do NOT use the space they have very well.  I have told churches NOT to build, but have given them advise on how to adjust their ministries to use the space they have better.  When they are ready to build, they’ll be much healthier to go through the process.
• Finally, does your facility communicate who you really are as a church?  A lot of church buildings are near carbon-copies of every other church building out there.  If your church is a carbon copy of other churches, OK. If it’s not, what can you do to have your facility communicate a bit of who you are as a church?

The test on Monday is “Building Systems.”  Primarily, it consists of HVAC, Plumbing, Electric,  and Acoustics.

As I have been studying, I try to think through what I am learning/reading and how it should apply to me as an architect, individual, and Christ-follower.

I talk to a lot of Christians who spend a whole lot of time putting down environmentalists and the like.  Do I agree with Al Gore and those like him?  Not on everything.  But we shouldn’t dismiss everything they say just because they take it all to extremes.  There is very real truth to certain environmental issues.

Sometimes I think Christians have taken the biblical concept of “ruling over creation” to mean they can do whatever they want whenever they want in however they want.  Just as Solomon’s sons abused the Israelite people until it blew apart the kingdom . . . If we abuse our environment, it will eventually blow apart.

I personally believe Christians ought to be some of the most environmentally conscious people.  Our charge to “rule over creation” should be interpreted to “take care of God’s handiwork.”  This concept can be stretched from how we take care of our own bodies to taking care of the entire ecosystem.

But there is ultimately balance we must also consider.  Reality is, the earth and everything in it beyond the souls of men and women will one day pass away. If I have to choose between an environmental issue and having the opportunity to influence someone in their relationship to God, I will choose influence. But sometimes I think we as Christians choose to ignore the physical environment, which actually hinders our ability to influence people in their relationship to God. We can build relationships with environmentalists by sharing some of their concerns for the environment, and as we build those relationships, we can influence their relationship to God.

In architecture, I’ve been wondering about the seas of roof area that cover worship rooms.  What would it say about our concern for the environment if we used them in some way?  What about a green roof?  What about an array of solar panels?  I think the solar idea has some great merit, because commercial buildings are billed on peak usage, which is during the day . . . imagine how some solar panel could reduce this demand and long-term cost for the church . . . and when the building is not in peak use (6 days a week), they may even be able to sell power back to the grid.  Just a thought.

As Christians, our family is trying to practice being Front Yard People.  Unfortunately, we live in a Back Yard World.

More and more, people spend little or no time in their Front Yards.  We currently sit in ours because we don’t even have a back yard . . . Plus, Katie loves to watch cars go by.

Back Yards are private places where you and your family can hang out with little or no interruption from the world around you.  In today’s world of Fences and Garages, it’s possible to live somewhere for years and never meet the person next to you.

Front yards are places where you can go and be interrupted.  You can watch the world go by.  You can talk to people as they walk by.  You can meet your neighbors.  You can touch your world.

We’re becoming Front Yard People.  And we love it.  But it’s frustrating living in a Back Yard world.  Auburn is definitely a Back Yard World. One of the things we’re looking for when we move is a community where we can be Front Yard People living among other Front Yard People.

As Christians, this should be our goal, because it’s where we can meet and influence the world around us with the hope, love, and grace of knowing Jesus Christ.  This is how we can Transform our world!

At the time, I said, “’nuff said.”

But today, I’m continuing to take a little time to expand on Mark’s post.

I’ve also been the #1 leader.   Sometimgs I’ve been a forward-thinker.  Other times I have not.  I’ve experienced the positives and negatives myself.

At this point in life, I will be in a combination of #1 and #2 positions in various aspects of my life.  Right now, I’m unemployed . . . but I’m still a #1 — I need to be forward-thinking as I lead my family.  It’s a challenge, but I’m learning.  I am also learning how to be forward-thinking in the areas God is calling me to lead.  I’m finally doing what it takes to get an architecture license (I’m taking another section of the exam this afternoon, please pray!)  I’m reading and visioning about church and reaching people far from God. 

I’m also learning that sometimes being Forward-Thinking and visionary is as much about DOING as it is about Thinking.  Without the DOING, you’re just dreaming.  You have to implement the Vision if you’re truly going to move forward.

At the time, I said, “’nuff said.”

But today, I’m going to take a little time to expand on Mark’s post.

As I look back over my life, the post spoke to me on two levels . . .

First, I have spend a lot of time being “second fiddle” in various organizations.  Whether it be in ministry (i.e. at a Campus Ministry in college or at Journey Church), or in the marketplace (architecture), I have come to understand completely (both positively and negatively) Mark’s comments about how forward thinking leaders affect those in the #2 position.

When #1 leaders above you are forward-thinking and communicating their vision, the #2 leaders are energized to dream themselves and to advance the organization with great enthusiasm.  A forward-thinking atmosphere breeds movement and growth.  I have been a #2 leader in such organizations.  It’s an awesome place to be.  You have the utmost trust and appreciation for those above you and you will do anything to help them and protect them.  You feel like nothing can stop you.

When #1 leaders begin investing too much time in maintenance and lose track of forward-thinking, the #2 leaders behind them begin to dream beyond the leaders over them and they get frustrated tripping over today to get to tomorrow.  When #2 leaders get stuck behind a #1 leader who is not forward-thinking, they either need to push the #1 leader to think forward more, or they need to move on.  If not, the #2 may cause more harm than good.  When they are frustrated, the people they influence will get frustrated.  This disrupts unity and leads to all sorts of other problems.

The other warning I would have for the #1 leaders out there: You can lose your forward-thinking perspective very quickly and easily.  I’ve been #2 in organizations that are rocking and rolling and doing all sorts of awesome stuff.  At some point, the #1 leaders’ thinking shifted from forward-thinking to “feeding the machine” (as one friend called it).  It wasn’t overnight, but it was very quick.  Within just a couple of months, the entire organization can come to a grinding halt.  I’ve seen it more than once, both in ministry and the marketplace.  It’s really scary.

I’ll continue tomorrow . . .

Click for PART 1 or for PART 2 or for PART 3 or for PART 4

Yesterday, in Parts 3&4, I began by identifying the BIG 3 of spaces in facilities that are important to evaluate — worship, support, and parking. Part 4 gave a basic breakdown to help evaluate how much space of each you need.

Today, we’re going more in-depth on Worship Space.

Worship space is fairly obvious.  However, how you count the capacity and how you use it is not so obvious. 

• What is our capacity? If you have individual chairs, count the chairs.  If you have pews/benches — measure the pews and allow 20″ minimum per person Always round down to nearest whole number for each pew. (Don’t go by what the drawings say — code says use 18″ — I’m 5′-8″ and less than 150lbs and I don’t really fit in 18″ — you get my drift.)  If you have movable chairs, have a design professional draw up your space and help you maximize the number of chairs you can fit in the space and still get out safely in an emergency.
• Don’t just be open to multiple worship services DEMAND IT! It is just plain stupid that the biggest, most expensive spaces in churches are only used near capacity for an hour a week!  Additionally, the financial strain of building a 1-service capacity building is just UNWISE for a church to do.  Buildings are just too expensive to not use them more than once.  I’ve heard the “it will break up our fellowship” or “we won’t know everybody” arguments far too many times.  People are going to hell because you’re more concerned about keeping your people together than you are about rescuing people from the wages of sin.  It’s sickening.  If you’re a pastor who won’t go to multiple services, I hope you’re independently wealthy so you can pay for the next building program.  Either that, or quit now before you make the rest of your church a bunch of self-absorbed spiritual navel-gazers.  If you’re a pastor of a church with deacons, elders, or other lay-leadership group that won’t let you go to multiple services — either grow a pair and be a leader, find a way to change the leadership structure to get these folks out of the way, or find a church that has a vision to do whatever it takes to reach people far from God.  I’ve also heard the argument that multiple services is hard on the church staff.  Two services on Sunday is perfectly reasonable for any staff member.  If they can’t make that, they’re probably a lazy staff member and need to go, anyway.  Three or more services can be tough on staff, but if you carefully evaluate HOW you do it and balance it with the extent of the other programming in your church, it CAN and SHOULD be done.  There are churches that are THRIVING with 5-7 services every weekend.  The pastor is responsible for creating a culture on his staff that does whatever it takes to reach people.  If you’re staff can’t handle it, you’ve created the culture that can’t handle it.  Change the culture.  You may need to change the staff to change the culture.
• When you go to two worship services, you aren’t really doubling your capacity.  Most two-service churches run about 60%/40% in their services.  This means that adding a second service really adds about 67% to your capacity. Trust me, that’s the way the math works.  Follow the numbers with me:  If you have a space that seats 1,000, your “real” capacity is 800 people (80%).  Using the 60/40 rule, your larger service can be 800.  The smaller service would then be about 533.  Therefore, with two services, your total capacity would be about 1,333 . . . this is about 133% of total seating capacity.
• When you go to 3 or more services, the impact is even lower, but it is still far cheaper than building.  If your second service is about 2/3 your largest service, each additional service will probably be just over 50% of your total capacity.  Using the above example, you would then have a capacity of 800, 533, and 500 for a 3-service church for a total of 1,833.  Notice, this is now significantly more than double your “real” capacity of 800.  This is about 183% of total seating capacity.  Add about 500 for each additional service.
• Multiple services is great for your people! You can challenge your folks to “Worship one, serve one.”  This basically means your people can attend and enjoy one of the services and can find a place to serve somewhere else in the church during an additional service.  When you get your people involved in the ministry of the church, they will be healthier Christians and will stick to your church much better than the average attender. 
• One additional note about multiple services and capacity:  If any of your services is less than 50% of your total seating capacity, the room will feel empty and growth will be difficult.  For our example of a 1,000 seat room, any service less than 500 will be hard to grow.  The easiest solution is to make the size of your room flexible.  Add and remove chairs between services to make it feel fuller at smaller services.  Add pipe-and-drape between rows to make the room smaller for smaller services.  When you build, have flexibility built in to the space.