- Clarity Is King – Know who you are and who you’re called to reach, and then over-communicate it. This is the rudder that will allow you to end up with the right expansion when it’s completed.
- Expansion Options Abound – Churches can add ministry space in multiple ways—additional services, multi-site campuses, church mergers, building expansion/relocation. Your DNA, vision and budget can help determine these.
- Understand the Budget – Don’t mistake the building budget for the total budget. When you build new facilities, the amount for the building itself is only part of the total cost. Non-building costs can add up to 20–40 percent of your total costs.
- Choose Your Partner Well – Look for people who have done what you want to do, and choose individuals you would be proud to have on your staff for a few years—because that’s what actually happens.
- Start Your Financing Plan Now – Historically, cash has been king. These days cash flow is the emperor. It is the new benchmark for lending institutions, so begin increasing your monthly surplus immediately so you can show a solid track record.
- Think About New Staff – A new expansion project will require additional and/or upgraded staff when it’s complete. Remember to think through the learning curve on new building and technical equipment, from furnace to lighting to new security systems.
- Prepare Your Congregation – Talk to your people about the new expansion and how it will change them in a positive way. Give mental pictures of the new space, and cast vision of the changed lives that will result. Always tie it back to who you are and whom you’re called to reach.
- Staff Your Expansion Team Right – Choose people who have vision first and technical expertise second. Let the partners you hire bring the latest technical expertise and information. Your team should always focus on how the expansion relates to your church vision and goals.
- Observe, Don’t Emulate – See what others have done, but realize it’s based on their vision and is outdated already. If their building is built, it’s the result of planning that took place at least three to four years ago. Try to find the core transferrable principles that relate to your church’s vision.
- Pre-Plan for Growth – Develop interim growth options while you’re planning the final expansion option. It will likely be two to three years until you occupy a new or renovated building, so keep your growth momentum going through added services or an interim venue.
Bonus: Remember the Why – Presumably, you’re expanding to reach lost people, so let them know by communicating to them one-to-one and through clear identity branding. Give your congregation easy tools and talking points to invite their unchurched family and friends. Most people come because of a relational connection with someone.
