Is Your Church Stuck in a Rut? Here’s an Easy Fix

If you’re anything like me, you trust God (or a higher power) has a plan. He is involved in every thought, movement and decision you’ll ever make, and he knows what you’ve done, and what you’ll do in the future. As a pastor or church leader, you might use the phrase ‘preordained.’ If that’s the case, and you believe it, you know God has a direction for your church and your congregation. He’ll show you the way. 

Every so often, I get a chance to speak with church leaders concerned about their building projects, and how to execute a metal church building program. While the practical side of me asks about budget and finances, I also ask, ‘What have you decided after prayer?’ What is the congregational impact? Are you ready to grow? When you are satisfied with those answers, you can follow the path God has laid out for you and your community. If that path includes a pre-engineered steel church building, you can get started here.

Have your ever heard of the ‘80% rule?’ It states if your church is 80% full, you could be making your congregation uncomfortable. Your regulars may stop coming and possible newcomers will be turned away as they feel there’s a “No Vacancy” sign on your door. A move to a new pre-engineered steel church building could be a solution if your congregation is looking for more space. Today’s technology has made it possible to utilize clear span formations which allow you to use every inch of space in the entire building. That’s a good thing.

Here’s an example: At your church, attendance is key. I recently talked to a pastor of a church who finally just recruited a choir. It’s 2016! Who doesn’t have a choir at church? But it’s true, some congregations are small and can only staff an organist and don’t have enough people to join a choral ensemble. But this church in Nebraska added enough people to the choir, and word spread throughout the county. More and more people decided they wanted to hear the musical talents of this choir, and every Sunday, people packed the pews to hear voices sing the gospel. Soon, the pastor started looking at building options to accommodate more parishioners. The clear span design of a pre-engineered steel church building was the perfect solution to house more people, and of course, the rest of the choir.

What if you have an old wood building? If your current wood building is past its prime, and you’re looking at a church relocation project, keep in mind pre-engineered buildings usually are half the cost and can be erected in half the time compared to conventional construction methods. This means you won’t inconvenience your congregation by waiting too long to get back to the pews and you’ll resume church operations as quickly as possible. A short erection process is possible because your parts will arrive to your job site ready to assemble with little to no onsite modifications required. The parts are numbered at the manufacturing facility, bolt together and fit together seamlessly on site. Wood arrives at a job site as raw lumber and needs to be fabricated on the job site.

A pre-engineered steel building is great for a place of worship, but it can serve your congregation in other ways as well. A pre-engineered steel building can be a garage for your buses or a youth center for the children of the congregation. Giving them a safe place to hang out and worship can even lead to organic growth. As kids feel more comfortable in a space, they’ll invite their friends. Maybe those kids will bring their parents as well.

Now, I understand money could be tight and your church may have to make decisions on whether to get a new bus or to update the organ too. The good news is once you erect a pre-engineered steel building, your maintenance costs will be almost nonexistent because steel is durable. It won’t warp, twist or split like wood, and you don’t need to waste money making repairs every few years. Plus steel is much more fire resistant and energy efficient. Keep your congregation’s money devoted serving the community – not devoted to the constant repair of wood or brick construction.

God has a plan for your building project – and you’re slowly learning about how to complete it. Trust in the message you receive from your followers and your flock, and move forward knowing you’re making the right decision.

Will a pre-engineered steel church building help your congregation? Check out religious steel building photos and examples to get an idea of your church design!

Photo courtesy: amboowho

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