Relocating a body of believers to a new location can seem daunting, yet it may just create optimal conditions to surge forward in the vision God placed in your heart. Nothing worthwhile comes easy, but as pastors and church leaders, our responsibility lies in completing the work God called us to do. And our deep-seated commitment to finish the race set before us far outweighs any challenge it takes to do so.
1. Start with Vision
Habakkuk 2:2 (AMPC) says, “Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.”
Regarding vision, keep in mind:
- Church buildings and facilities are tools in which the vision is accomplished.
- Obstacles will come, so we prepare for them.
- We must keep the vision before us. It will anchor our hearts when challenges arise.
- Our commitment to fulfill the vision and invest in tools to accomplish it will be mirrored in our church members.
- With the right staff and the right church builder, we can successfully complete our new church building.
2. Continue with Pre-Location Strategies
How do you prepare your congregation to relocate? When it’s time to prepare to move, time is on your side. When the decision is made to not only build a new church building, but also relocate a congregation, prepare the congregation by taking these steps:
- Design opportunities for buy-in from your staff and congregation.
- Invite your congregation to a meaningful event on the land prior to building. A groundbreaking ceremony with music and a brief time of casting vision can begin the process of preparing your congregation for the new church building.
- Inform and include your congregation in the moving plans from day one of the relocation’s planning stage.
- Demonstrate how much you value your staff by giving them the opportunity to articulate the needs of their departments during the planning stage of the new building.
- Gather your staff to discuss and develop strategies to create a fluid flow from department to department within the new church building.
- Consider benefits such as how it will affect parents to drop their children in proximity to the main service rather than a long walk from the sanctuary.
- Once the construction site is able to safely accommodate it, host an event on the premises of the new church. Explain how well things are progressing with the building.
- Construct a team of volunteers to plan the celebration event for the new church building’s opening.
3. Finish with a Church Relocation Celebration
Success should be celebrated, and rejoicing as a congregation once your building is completed brings unity to a congregation. You’ve invested countless hours and sacrificed as a church to get to this point, and it’s right to honor the accomplishment.
A Success Story
Finding the right fit for your church construction is key to its success. When Pastor Shane Warren was quoted a new construction bid that was $6 million over his church’s budget, he felt overwhelmed at the turmoil the news created. Wisely, his lender suggested he reach out to three different church builders for additional bids. He desired to work with a reputable design-build group that understood churches.
Keenly aware that anyone can build, but not everyone understands a pastor’s heart and the importance of the church’s layout, Pastor Warren contacted Churches by Daniels. As stated in the May 2018 edition of The Church Executive, regarding the difficult situation, “I was devastated,” Warren recalls. “I knew I’d be dead in the water when I took those numbers to our leadership unless I had some plan to resolve it quickly.”
Churches by Daniels presented Pastor Shane Warren with a clean building plan that far exceeded the original plan, and came in under budget! Pastor Warren’s turmoil turned into triumph when he embraced the opportunity to build with Churches by Daniels.
Churches by Daniels has helped churches achieve their ministry building goals with professional construction services since 1980. We understand church relocation, and are here to help. We are recognized nationally for construction and design excellence. Call us today at (918) 872-6006.
