| The Importance of a Building Committee…
There is a wide array of things to be considered in the building of a new temple or church. So many in fact, that most
churches appoint a building committee to oversee the various areas that need to be addressed, before, during and after
erecting a new building. Any one person would be overwhelmed with all the different aspects of the project.
The building committee is ideally between seven and ten people. (More than ten will actually make it harder to get anything
done efficiently.) The people on the building committee should be detail oriented, flexible, able to work as a team, and be
able to put the needs of the congregation ahead of their own egos.
It is not necessary for the committee to be made up of people with construction or engineering experience; rather, they
should be leaders who can represent the entire congregation.
A typical committee consists of a chairman, secretary, and any number of program leaders and sub-committee members. The
chairman should be a key church leader, not necessarily the pastor, but one who can work well with a diverse group of people,
and who will guide them both organizationally and spiritually. The chairman must look at the "big picture" and be willing to
leave the details to others.
To an inexperienced building committee, the task of building a new church building may seem daunting at first. (Faith comes
in handy here!) It’s hard even to know where to start.
Here are some questions to consider…
What are the Building committees’ responsibilities?
How much can the church afford?
What financing is available for the building project
Will fund raising within the congregation be required? (If so, consider the benefits of hiring a professional fund raiser.)
What overall size building is required?
Can the current church be expanded, or another building added to the same site?
What size Sanctuary (auditorium)?
Do you need classrooms, kitchen facilities, offices, nursery, education building, or daycare facilities?
What size fellowship areas?
How much parking space/ handicapped parking?
What construction costs are local to your area? (building permits, etc)
What are the construction options?
Relying on the help of professionals is invaluable through all stages of the project. An experienced steel building supplier
can suggest all sorts of ways to bring the project in on budget, and avoid any pitfalls.
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and
estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it,
everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying,
"This fellow began to build and was not able to finish."
Luke 14:28-30.
THE BUDGET
How do you go about determining the overall cost of the project, and how much to budget for each different expense? The cost
of purchasing and erecting the building is always the largest single expense, but there are others which are essential and
should not be underestimated.
LAND COST…
Purchasing property is one of the first major expenses you will have. Of course, this is not always necessary as your church
might already own land.
Anytime a church is considering a new property purchase, it should be reviewed by local civil engineers to determine the
feasibility of the site for church use.
The following is a short list of issues:
Zoning: Is the current zoning appropriate for building a church? If not, what are the
requirements for rezoning?
Purchase Price: Take the total acreage; subtract the setbacks, easements, road improvements,
floodplains and any other restrictions to the site. What remains is the usable area. Calculate the usable area of the land
to determine the actual cost per acre.
A church will need approximately one usable acre for every 100 people in attendance.
Topography: If the site is too hilly, then a large amount of earth must be moved to flatten
it. This extra expense might make the site cost prohibitive.
If any of the land is in a Federal Wetland or flood plain, it will not be allowed to be disturbed at all. This reduces
the usable acreage of the site.
Utilities: How close is it to the nearest sewer line? On which side of the road are the
underground utilities? It is more costly to either bore under the road or cut the pavement and patch? Is the nearest water
line enough to serve the property? Are electricity, natural gas and telephone already available to the site?
Subsurface: If the site has exposed rock or was a fill site, this can be an added expensed.
It is always advisable to have subsurface borings made before the purchase of property, to determine the structural qualities
of the ground on which the building will sit.
Local Area: Does the area match your own church demographics and is the site located near the
geographic of the congregation? Thoroughly investigate a piece of property before purchasing it. Use expert advice to
help you evaluate the feasibility of the property.
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