Why is Planning Necessary?

Why is Planning Necessary?

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An unknown fact is that 60% of all churches that start building programs fail to complete them. Though there are various reasons for this, the most common reason is that they fail to properly plan.

 

Many church leaders have floor plans and renderings before they have a good handle on the size and scope of the project. A church that follows this process omits the first critical step and that is a proper assessment of their needs. This is the  planning process which lays the foundation from which the design is launched.

 

The results of bypassing the planning step are usually disastrous as industry statistics validate. The design plans usually exceed what the congregation can afford, or the design of the facility does not allow the church to grow because the design does not meet the current or future needs of the ministry. Though appearance is important, design functionality is far more important.

 

Until you have a clear and accurate understanding of what your church needs to build and its financial capability, the odds of you joining the 60% that fail is great.
A planning study conducted by a professional Facility Growth Expert ensures a solid foundation for your project’s design professional to draw within your budget.  

twalker
Written by
THOMAS H. WALKER is the owner and CEO of Walker Church Consulting Group, LLC. Mr. Walker is an inspirational speaker, musician, teacher and award-winning author. His book, “Seeking Wisdom from God” was published by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson, and for this literary work Mr. Walker received the “Indie Excellence Book Award.” T.H.Walker received his MBA graduating with honors, and was nominated for “Who’s Who among College Scholars” during his graduate studies. Mr. Walker served as Senior Vice President with a National Church Design/Build company for which he consulted and planned over $200 million dollars’ worth of church building projects. Mr. Walker’s 15 years with this National Leader in church design and construction afforded him the privilege of having worked with architects, engineers, construction managers, estimators, and financial advisers. His work experience gained him a much broader, more-in depth, and a “Big” picture understanding not typically available to the majority of Professionals in the field of Church Facility Growth. Identifying how facilities interact with a Church’s ministry and mission takes years of experience to acquire. In other words, there is a difference between square footage and ministry space. Lacking this understanding causes an imbalance in ministry space. Thomas Walker has spent twenty years as a Business and Risk Management Consultant, 12 years as a Church Facilities Growth Consultant, and twenty years as a Marketing Strategist. He has published several articles pertaining to his profession as a Church Facilities Growth Expert as well as the following articles on “Renovation Challenges”, “Overhead”, “The Need Always Comes Before the Money” and “Checking References” in leading industry magazines.