There’s an old saying that if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.
At a recent workshop on church building projects, the leaders of the National Association of Church Architecture reported that the most common failure of congregational building projects is the failure to plan. “In fact,” noted church architecture consultant Russell Maddox, “sometimes a congregation even calls us after they’ve finished their new building to ask if we can help them figure out how to use it.”
Building projects require planning, but so do all kinds of other efforts of congregations. Whether you’re launching a new building, a new website, or a new change in worship, planning is a big part of success.
Ask lots of specific questions. What are the demographics of your congregation? Who is part of your neighborhood and community? What are the strengths of your congregation? What do you do best? What draws people to your congregation? What keeps them coming back? As you look to that new piece of the puzzle - building, website, new worship service - think about who will use it. Who will benefit? What will make it successful? How will you know? Taking time to answer these questions will save time, money and headaches as your project proceeds.
One final caution, though: If planning time is open-ended it can drag on and leave people frustrated at a lack of action. So, set a timetable with an end date for planning. Then gather up your data and learning and move on to action!
Wendy McCormick
Southwest Director
