As churches start to grow, they start evaluating their long-term facility needs. This need is most often felt in the children’s ministry. We hear statements like, “We have kids everywhere on Sundays. We keep trying to figure out what to do with them.” This often leads to discussions and evaluations of relocation or expansion. These congregations realize that facilities often restrict churches from fulfilling their mission.
If this sounds like your community, now may be a time to consider relocating a church. Begin by having the leadership team sit down to develop a specific, detailed plan of action. The plan, when in alignment with the vision God has given them for their church, will guide your efforts to find the right location for your community.
Here are the four mistakes to avoid when relocating a church.
- Faulty Information – Collecting and relying on estimates that don’t take into account the total cost of relocation will set the entire project on a bad foundation from which recovery may be impossible. Take your time to understand every moving part of relocation before you begin to put together your plan. Count the cost before you set out.
- Overconfident Estimates – God is in this with you, but he wants you to be a good steward of what you have now. Understand what your capacity is and what is available to you for a new location. Don’t get trapped into thinking, “if we build it, they will come.” That was a movie about a baseball field, not the lives of disciples God has given you responsibility.
- No Thorough Project Plan – In thinking through a plan, the most important starting point is a communication plan. How are you going to inform and get buy-in from your congregation? They need to understand why you need to move, how you chose the new location, how it fits into the vision and mission of the church, and what their part is going to be in the relocation project. The rest of the plan is executing the “work.” But without a good communication plan, you will “work” more to bring you people along than to move.
- No Team of Experts – A poorly thought-out relocation plan that fails will weaken a church and the credibility of its leadership. Save your dollars and your leadership team’s reputation by building a team of professional advisors. Moses had Jethro to be an advisor, and you should have no less. Hire professionals in their field that understand how a church makes decisions and have the experience to help you develop a winning plan. Your team would include a church real estate professional, a construction company, an architect, and a project manager.
Relocating a Church in Texas? We Can Help
Church Realty helps churches just like yours buy and sell church buildings to find the space that fits their mission. If you are considering a church relocation, or simply want some real estate advice from proven professionals, our team can help. Fill out our contact form to reach a member of our team today.