Roughly 80 percent of the 350,000 Protestant churches in the United States have plateaued or are declining. Many of these churches have empty facilities in desperate need of a vibrant ministry. Among the 20 percent of the growing vibrant congregations across the United States, many are in desperate need of space. This reality is catalyzing…
Author: Thomas Walker
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.
Church Attendance in Decline
There are many pundits today who suggest the Church in America is dying but to paraphrase Mark Twain “the reports of the Church’s death have been greatly exaggerated.” In the 1950’s when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth the majority of Americans went to church or at least said they did because it was a…
Designated Space: A Thing Of The Past
Replacing existing square footage with newly constructed square footage can stretch our faith and pocket book. It is usually impossible for Churches to replace all of their existing facility, square foot for square foot, with a new facility. The general rule for what a church can afford to build in new construction is typically 50…
What Does Walker Church Consulting Do?
Walker Church Consulting Group is a staff of professional church facility growth experts. Walker C.C.G. provides the tools for small to medium size churches to minimize their risk as they turn their building vision into a reality. This can be a very difficult feat, as attested by the findings of F.W. Dodge Corporation. This corporation…
Why is Planning Necessary?
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…
Contractual Misunderstandings
After the interviewing process and the selection of a firm has been agreed upon, the next step is to requisition from the firm their contract. Either your committee members or an Attorney or both should review the contract. From here, a time and date is determined for a contract signing by the church representatives and…
Open Book vs. Closed Book
Let us begin with a definition. The following is the best description I found that is all-inclusive for any management, accounting, or design/construction operation utilizing the closed or open book system. A Closed (Book) System is a system that is not influenced by, nor does it interact with others. An Open (Book) System is a…
The Need Always Comes Before the Money
Growth is vital to a church, and for the membership to grow there has to be adequate facility space. Typically, the impetus for a building program happens when the church has out-grown their facilities. If ignored, the lack of room will cause people to go elsewhere to worship. Irreversible damage is inevitable when the lack…
Driving Down Square Footage Costs
The most commonly asked question of those firms being interviewed by the building committee is: “What is your average square footage cost?” Understand that the Architectural and Construction Industry are very much aware that “low bid” wins. Because a verbal estimate during an interview is not guaranteed it will be undoubtedly a low guesstimate. Don’t…