Podcast Episode #324
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Construction debt can be debilitating for churches, but there can be a way out. Today we discuss the unintended consequences of building too big and how to overcome them.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- If you build too big of a church facility, these things may happen.
- Don’t let unneeded building debt replace needed ministry funding.
- Unwieldy debt can get a church off message. They start thinking about surviving instead of thriving.
- It’s likely that less than 1% of churches have done a facility usage study in the past five years.
- There’s a perception that if you build a new church facility, people will come. That is simply not the case.
- People are more attracted to a church because of relationships and ministry, not facilities.
- Dealing with “the good ole days” is one of the most challenging thing any leader will face.
The eight consequences of building too big are:
- Debt becomes shackles.
- Morale is hit hard.
- Leaders spend too much time with a new narrative.
- Utility costs are too high and burdensome.
- They built it, but they didn’t come.
- The church becomes dangerously nostalgic.
- There are fewer financial resources for ministry.
- The church has difficulty finding good successor pastors.
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Feedback
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I have served in my current church for 8 1/2 years and they were over a million dollars in debt when I came. They truly believed that, “if they built this new facility, people would come” and the church would be filled to capacity. It did not happen. Younger families left and tried to destroy me on the way out the door. People do not understand that a pastor is responsible to minister to everyone in the church and not a chosen few. My predecessor had his favorite people in the church and when I did not make them my favorites they were not too happy with me. I have survived many battles. I now have a church that is older and in their defense, is also the ones paying the bills. They always have and it frustrates them that they said yes to a building program that they are now stuck with. We are not able to give to missions the way we once did because our mortgage is so high. Everyone of the eight points that are mentioned have been experienced by my church as well.
Thanks for sharing, William, and thanks for your faithfulness.
William,
I know what you are referring to. Often people that begin the building are not around to see the mortgage burned. I do not believe that we find our identity in a building, However, the idea of having a visible presence in a community speaks louder than a transient church. The new way of doing church is to not put money in a facility. Perhaps there are places where this works well. However, it can only be temporary. Eventually, people want and desire permanence. A light in the darkness. That said, I do believe in good stewardship. I spend a couple years building a new facility. We stayed within budget, however many who began the journey and were financially committed in the end bailed. Not an uncommon experience as you well know. Thank God, we have stayed through the transitions and God honors faithfulness!
I take the “we’re not a real church until we have a nice facility” as more of a Post-WWII American narrative than anything else. Need to find our Christian identity in something besides the building.
John,
I do not think that those who build a building find their identity in the brick and mortar. They find it in Christ. That said, it is not unbiblical to build a facility. The Biblical process is count the cost. Even those who spend much of their time in temporary facilities, eventually end up seeking a permanent home in the same way, the Old Testament characters, eventually built a permanent home for the Ark. So I guess you could say that the idea goes farther back than post WWII.
what is the envelope 3 website again, the link isn’t working?
Envelope3 has a summer launch. I am sorry for the confusion.