Nehemiah was a God-appointed leader who used a strategy. When God laid it on his heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah began to establish and then work through a well-planned strategy to accomplish the vision God had given. He assessed the damage. He secured the resources. He established leaders and distributed the assignments among them. Anyone who has ever built a structure--from a doghouse to a three-bedroom house--will acknowledge Nehemiah's need for some kind

Don’t overspend. It is very easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm of building of new church. Staying focused on your goals and staying within your budget will insure a successful building program. The general rule-of-thumb for how much building you can safely build and pay for is three times your annual income, less any debt you have. This will vary depending on circumstances, but it is a good place to begin. One important thing to remember is not to start construction u

The best time to build is when the church reaches 85% of its worship capacity for the first time. While the “85% capacity” rule-of-thumb is sound and proven, the more important thing is upon reaching it for the first time. Growth patterns, whether positive or negative, tend to feed on themselves. If you enlarge your facilities as you approach saturation, you permit growth to continue. If you don’t permit enlargement, you impose an upper limit on that growth and upon reaching

To be a happy experience, the church building must be an ex­pression of the whole congregation and not the vision of just one person or a small group. To ac­complish this, it is necessary to involve as many people as possible in the study groups and in writing the church's building program. Design your building to reflect your church's personality, goals, age, income, beliefs, hopes, wishes, and desires. What the members of a congregation believe, and how they practice those

Allow me to briefly cover the topic of taking on debt. If you have a reasonable need, a sound program, a firm financial history, and a stable congregation, most banks will lend you the money to enter the building program. We strongly urge you not to wait three years until the money is in the bank to begin the building process. Waiting costs money, as inflation will drive the cost of construction and materials higher than they are today. Perhaps more importantly, potential

Short, 2-minute video: A comparison of design renderings to actual photographs of completed churches.

Project Scope: Design, Capital Campaign, Bond Program, Construction Read about the challenges and solutions for the church.

Is your church asking these questions? "Do we need to hire a local architect or engineer if we use CDS' plans?" "Are the plans and specifications in compliance with our local codes?" The answers to these and several other FAQs can be found here. Please contact us at info@churchdevelopment.com if you need more assistance.