FACILITIES Archives - Page 48 of 69

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FACILITIES Archives - Page 48 of 69 - Church Executive

How to avoid cost overruns: tried-and-true strategies

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Church building, church building projects, Church Construction, Church expansion, church facilities

September 16, 2015 at 2:29 pm.

Often, when a church decides it wants to build, the first step is to get a set of plans designed and then bid out with several contractors. Nearly every month, we encounter churches where — after bidding the plans — the project is over budget and cannot be completed.

Other church leaders tell us their buildings were built using this process … and yet they ended up spending a significant amount more than the contractor’s original bid.

You might ask how this could happen. The answer: cost overrun.

Designing worship areas: expansion takes shape

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Church building, church building projects, Church Construction, Church expansion, church site selection

September 16, 2015 at 2:21 pm.

In this installment, we’ll focus on three types of alternative site selection:

#1: Expansion on one site (current or new)
#2: Expansion on multiple sites
#3: Expansion through church planting or new starts

Church transportation: survey the safety landscape

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church bus, church bus driver safety, church bus safety, church bus selection, church buses, church driver safety, Church transportation, church vehicle selection, transportation ministry

September 16, 2015 at 2:15 pm.

Good bus drivers avoid potholes, speedbumps and potentially dangerous conditions on the road.

Church leaders should be just as vigilant about heeding potentially dangerous conditions — for themselves and their precious cargo.

Small, but mighty: key elements of effective small group classroom design

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adult classrooms, church architecture, church classrooms, Church Construction, Church design, church small group spaces, church small groups, small group spaces

September 16, 2015 at 2:05 pm.

Small group classrooms are integral to the spiritual life of the contemporary Church. They’re spaces of discipleship, where members and guests can digest the heart of what Christ is teaching us. They’re also places of prayer and intimate growth.

As such, it’s important that small group classrooms accommodate a great range of activities and group sizes. Yet, they must also be intimate enough that individuals feel comfortable expressing their doubts, questions and struggles surrounding faith.

It’s a delicate balance of familiarity and flexibility.

The St. Andrew’s mission for new video displays

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church A/V, church audiovisual, church LED screens, church projection, church video, church video technology, church worship technology, pastor-friendly A/V, worship technology

September 16, 2015 at 1:59 pm.

When St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, MN decided to upgrade its audiovisual system, it included extensive research into new video screens.

Having rented projectors for special services in the past — and because the sanctuary has an abundance of natural ambient light — church leaders knew projectors weren’t the best fit.

“We didn’t really want to take this beautiful space and darken it order to see something,” explains Dale Bakken, Director of Buildings and Grounds.

Sound (system) decisions: why you need a consultant

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church audio, church audio systems, church sound systems, pastor audio, pastor-friendly A/V, pastor-friendly audio, pastor-friendly sound, worship audio

September 16, 2015 at 12:34 pm.

If you were ill, you’d seek a qualified doctor to diagnose and treat what ails you. After all, trying to diagnose and treat yourself — without medical expertise — is likely to lead to a bad outcome.

When you have problems with the sound in your church, the same reasoning applies.

What are banks looking for?

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Church Finance, church financial management, church financing, church lending, church loans, church monetary

September 16, 2015 at 12:17 pm.

Long-term interest rates appear to have bottomed out and are projected to increase by year-end. So, now is the time to consider borrowing funds to undertake important building initiatives or refinancing existing debt.

The most common church claims — and how to protect against them

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Church insurance, church legal issues, Church risk management, common church claims, insurance protection for churches, insuring the church, protecting the church

September 16, 2015 at 11:44 am.

If your church is like many others, it probably has a limited budget. Plus, the staff is likely busy with ministry activities, and it is difficult to take on additional responsibilities. This can be an issue when it comes to risk management — improving safety for congregants and enhancing your facility’s security.

Why stained glass is always at home in places of worship

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church architecture, Church design, church glass, church stained glass, church symbolism, church windows, stained glass design

September 16, 2015 at 11:37 am.

From the earliest of times, we know that Phoenicians were the first to make objects of glass. As a seafaring people, they spent time on beaches where lighting strikes turned sand and ashes from cooking fires into glass.

Human beings have long been fascinated by glass — its beauty and challenge of its manufacture.

Finance & lending trends: time to expand to new location(s)?

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Church expansion, Church Finance, church financing, church lending, church loans, church locations, Multi-site churches, Multisite churches

September 16, 2015 at 11:31 am.

As unemployment has declined and consumer confidence has grown, it appears that the post-meltdown reluctance to solicit donors for capital pledges for religious institution expansion is abating.

This is giving way to pent-up demand for worship space.