THE CHURCH BUILDING: Housing or Hindering God’s Mission?

1. THE CHURCH BUILDING:Housing or Hindering God’s Mission?

2. The Church Building: Housing or Hindering God’s Mission? • Facilitator: Ellen Mitchell, CFRE • Presenters: Maribeth Westerfield Joe Gardner E

3. Welcome and Opening Prayer • Ellen Mitchell Vice President for Donor, Investor and Church Relations E

4. The church building: housing or hindering God’s mission? • Introductions including a sharing of your most difficult building issue • Appreciative Inquiry exercise—Understanding stewardship as receiving of God’s resources for mission (even a building) • STOP! But what is that mission God has laid on the hearts of the congregation? • So, looking at our building, where is it working for God’s mission and---where is it not! • Is our building hospitable so that all may worship or experience mission and ministry? • Is the witness here or do we need to follow the sacred cloud elsewhere? • Let’s look at examples of working with an architect to see what other congregations have done? • We now know we have options but what are the best next steps for my congregation?? E

5. The Church Building: Housing or Hindering God’s Mission? • Please share your name, the name of your church and where it is located • AND please share what you think is your most difficult building issue for your congregation E

6. The Church Building: Housing or Hindering God’s Mission? • Stewardship of God’s Mission Resources • Genesis Text • Understanding stewardship as receiving first before sharing • What blessings can you name that your congregation has received? E

7. The Church Building: Housing or Hindering God’s Mission? • Stewardship of God’s Mission Resources • Investors and Donors have blessed Church Extension with resources for funds like • Accessibility Loan Fund • Interest Free Loan Fund • Mission Seed Loans E

8. The Church Building: Housing or Hindering God’s Mission? • Stewardship of God’s Mission Resources • So, in addition to sharing from the funds listed, Church Extension has services that have been developed which can help a congregation that has been blessed yet recognizes its building challenges. E

9. General Consultation • This service is usually the first service a congregation will receive from Church Extension. M

10. Capital Fund Raising • This service is for a congregation with a clearly defined project which already has a broad base of support. • It provides a plan by which the congregation can raise the financial resources it needs for the project. M

11. New Beginnings • This service assesses a congregation’s place in life as they seek to answer the question, “How can we most faithfully serve God in this time of our lives?” M

12. Special Architectural Consultation • This service provides the professional advice and counsel of an architect. • It is provided by an architect contracted by Church Extension because of his or her expertise in church buildings. • It provides several solutions for a congregation’s building dilemmas before they pay the full time expenses of a resident architect. J

13. Relocation • New to the line up of Church Extension services, is a revised relocation service designed to assist congregations who have decided that God’s call to ministry for them is in a new place. M

14. M

15. Where do we begin? M

16. The discussion starts with mission! M

17. What is the MISSION God has laid on the hearts of the congregation? M

18. Maybe . . . • Your neighbors need food. • If so . . . Use your building space to create a food pantry. M

19. Maybe . . . • Your neighbors need affordable child care. • If so . . . Use your building for day care. M

20. Maybe . . . • Your neighbors need clothing. • If so . . . Use your building space for a clothing bank or thrift shop. M

21. Maybe . . . • Your neighbors need career skills. • If so . . . Why not use some of your building space for a computer lab? M

22. Maybe . . . • Your neighbors need help with addiction recovery. • If so . . . • Use some of your classrooms. M

23. So, looking at your building . . . E

24. Where is it working for God’s mission? And where is it not???? E

25. Here are some points to ponder. J

26. Location in the community J

27. Property constraints J

28. Site conditions J

29. Building conditions • Is there lots of deferred maintenance? • Are there stairs everywhere? • How much does it cost to operate the building? • How often is the building used? J

30. Is our building hospitable? M

31. Which is more inviting? • This? M

32. Or this? M

33. Is this a place you would like if you were three years old? M

34. How welcoming is your worship space? M

35. Hospitality from an architectural perspective • Visibility from Approach • Clear Identification as a Church Structure • Convenient, Accessible, All-Weather Entrance Feature • Warm, Inviting Gathering Space • Directly Related to Main Entrance • Space Adequate for 4 to 5 square feet for each in Worship • Configuration Comfortable for Greeting, Lingering and Conversation • Availability of “The Coffee Pot” • Interior Atmosphere Conveying Gracious Hospitality • Primary Adjacency to Administrative Center • Secondary Adjacency to • Accessible Rest Rooms • Educational Space • Fellowship Hall J

36. Questions?? • Let’s take a break! E

37. Relocation: Is the witness here? M

38. God’s people are often on the move. • Exodus 40:34-38 • Numbers 9:15-23 M

39. Is the Spirit of God calling your congregation to move? M

40. What are the signs? M

41. First, who are you called to reach with your ministry? • Where do those people live? • Who lives in your neighborhood? • Do the spiritual gifts of your congregation match the needs of the people who live in your neighborhood? • If not, you may need to change your location or the focus of your ministry. M

42. Second, what shape is your building in? M

43. If . . . • Your calling to ministry does not match the community around you • Your spiritual gifts would not meet the needs of the people in your neighborhood • If you are answering questions which no one in your community is asking M

44. Then. . . • It may be time to relocate. M

45. If . . . • You have way more building space than congregation • You spend more than 25% of your church budget on operating costs of the building • Your building is totally inaccessible • Your building is too well hidden from the mainstream flow of people M

46. Then . . . • It may be time to relocate. M

47. If the sacred cloud beckons you to a new place • Church Extension can help you answer the stewardship question with: • Ministry analysis • Demographics • Site selection counsel • Transition planning • Building Funding services M

48. If the sacred cloud calls you to stay camped Church Extension can help you answer the stewardship question with: • Ministry planning • Building planning • Architectural advice and counsel • Building funding services M

49. Relocation from an architectural perspective • Consultant’s central question: • Stay and adapt? • Relocate? J

50. Issues pertinent to the central question: • Core values of the congregation • History • Culture • Physical focus of the congregation • Demographics • Mission • Site • Availability • Cost • Construction • Feasibility of adaptation • Cost of renovation vs. new construction J