Centerview

Buildings and congregations – the reality can be a holy blessing or a worldly irritation.

Think of the new congregation making decisions about when to build, where to build, what to build.  They are an excited bunch with lots of possibilities. Do they begin to look for property?  Do they brainstorm the design of a sanctuary? Or maybe they should dream about what kind of building will support the services they will offer the larger community. So many possibilities.

Now, think of a long established congregation. This group has worshiped in the same place for 100 years. The sanctuary, indeed, the whole building, is unique.  Yet, it is expensive to keep. The roof leaks. The heating and cooling system is inefficient. The stained glass windows are fragile. What do they attend to first?

At first glance, these two congregations have very different tasks ahead.  However, the Center for Congregations is learning that no matter what the specific building issue, most congregations benefit when members address these issues through a specific process. What is the process? At the Center, we call it the 3-D process. The steps include discern, decide, and do. 

This specific process supports a powerful assumption. The assumption is that each congregation views its facility as a holy blessing when the buildings match and support the congregation’s mission. In other words, congregational buildings should serve the mission of the congregation, not the other way around – which would be congregations serving the needs of the buildings.

The discern step involves exploration of the congregation’s identity and mission.

The decide step concentrates on aesthetics, project delivery, and finances.

The do phase involves the implementation of building plans.

All parts of the process work best when a dedicated team from the congregation works closely with clergy and the governing board. 

A new book on this process has been written by the Center and published by the Alban Institute – Holy Places: Matching Sacred Space with Mission and Ministry by Nancy DeMott, Tim Shapiro, and Brent Bill.  Click here to learn more about the book.

In addition, the Center has produced a DVD titled Sacred Spaces that many congregational leaders have found helpful. If you are interested in learning more about the DVD you can email me at tshapiro@centerforcongregations.org