Book

Church Building Guide: Preparing to Build

This book may be the best investment you make in your entire church building program. It is a small investment that can save you time, effort, stress, and precious dollars in your church construction effort.

See Testimonials

3rd edition – 200 pages, with numerous illustrations
Forward by Dr. Paul Smith, Sr. Pastor, Crosspoint Alliance Church
3 Appendices, including a readiness to build assessment
Free 53 Page Preview. Download pdf

“Thanks for cutting through all of the baloney out there and getting to the point. I spent hours on the internet trying to get good unbiased information on building a church. When I was almost ready to give up, I happened upon a one-page document you had written of concise guidelines for building a church. I learned more in five minutes from that page than I had learned in the previous five hours. I ordered your book and got a real education in this whole process we are embarking on!” – M. Briney

Purchase Options

Option 1: eBook in PDF – Single User License.
Printing is disabled in this version, as are cut, paste, and copy features. Immediate download upon payment. $9.95. Add to Cart

Option 2: Multi-copy eBook in PDF. Best Value!
The purchaser may make as many electronic or printed copies as needed for the internal use of the church! Cut and paste features are enabled. Immediate download upon payment, letter authorizing reprint to follow by email along with your free copy of From Dream to Dedication. Equip your whole team for only $29.95. Add to Cart

NOTE: Upon successful payment you will receive an email with a download link. Don't forget to save the book to a folder where you can find it again!

It is used as textbook or resource by:

Liberty University – DMin Program
New Life Theological Seminary – Methodologies of Capital Gifts
NC Baptist Convention – Church Planning & Building Resource

Preparing to Build will help your church…

Understand practical guidelines for church construction.
Understand the proper steps in a church building program.
Understand what the church can reasonably expect to borrow.
Describe how to develop a preliminary church construction budget.
Understand what to expect from a church capital campaign.
Understand how to evaluate architects and builders.
Understand various church financing options.
Avoid common mistakes and pitfalls in church design & construction.
Understand various methods of contracting for construction.
Determine your readiness to build through the included assessment.

As a result your church will…

Know how to move forward with confidence.
Save money in church design & construction.
Reduce the amount of time & effort you will have to invest.
Reduce the amount of the stress and worry.
Reduce the uncertainty of what to build and why.
Properly equip your leadership and building or long range planning committee.
Be more satisfied with the outcome of the building program.

Topics Covered

The role of vision and mission in a church building program.
Determining project feasibility.
Ascertaining needs and separating them from wants.
Financial preparedness.
Financing church construction.
Raising money to build – the church capital campaign.
Things to consider when searching for a church architect.
Church construction contracting methodologies.
Church design & construction guidelines.
Church construction contracting methodologies.

Church Feasibility Consulting

Preparing to Build was written as a resource for churches looking for help in building a new church. As helpful as the book is, however, it only scratches the surface.

As you have read through the book, you may have recognized mistakes that your church has already made. We have received many calls from people who say their church made many or almost all of the mistakes in the book.

As a result of this book, you may have a newfound appreciation for the complexity of the task ahead and are now considering some assistance in moving your project forward.

Providing Solutions as Unique as the Clients We Serve

We offer a range of consulting engagements to churches that need help in becoming strategically prepared to build, or need to become financially prepared to build. Each engagement is customized to the unique needs and situation of your church.

Preparing to Build Consultation

This engagement will help your church to properly and objectively ask and answer the important questions of:

Do we need to build, and if so, why.
What do we need to build, and why is that the right answer.
What can we afford to build, and how will we pay for it.
When will we be able to afford to build?
Where should we build, and why.

Financial Preparedness

Abundant Giving Church Capital Campaigns

A church capital campaign is a critical part of almost every church’s plan for becoming financially prepared to build. Abundant Giving is a biblical, flexible and effective church capital campaign that honors the Lord and respects your congregation.

We can assist your church in executing a successful church capital campaign that will bear spiritual fruit, leading to increased giving of members’ time, treasure, and talents in support of the church’s vision and mission.

The spiritual and technical aspects of a church capital campaign are part science and part art. Much like learning to fly you can’t learn it all from a book, even from our church building guide, only by doing. As a general rule, churches who try a do-it -yourself capital campaign typically raise only 50% of the amount raised by churches who hire a professional capital campaign consulting firm.

Testimonials

Thank you so much for your interest in our church. I’m one of the building committee members. We are in the process of planning to build a church. We are just a small church, around 150 people, including children. We are renting a building but we just purchased a land some eight months ago and want to build a church on that land. I came across your book “Preparing to Build “. I have already read it to the end. I am so blessed to have purchased your e-book. It has tons of information that we had not thought about. May the Lord continue to bless your company. - D. Nelson, Deacon San Diego