Church cafés: best practices: purchasing and supplies
Church Growth Archives - Page 43 of 55 - Church Executive
How to avoid cost overruns: tried-and-true strategies
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.
Read More >Designing worship areas: expansion takes shape
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
Small, but mighty: key elements of effective small group classroom design
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.
Read More >It’s time to work smarter, not harder
Simple church can feel incredibly complex at times. There are always more people to reach. There is always more ministry that can be done.
Read More >What are banks looking for?
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.
Read More >ChMS Forum: finding the right volunteer management tools
As a founding pastor of a church plant in North Carolina during the 1990s — managing more than 200 volunteers every week — a key component of success was tracking their interests, skills and spiritual gifts. Then, I needed to be able to apply that information to finding volunteer opportunities for all of them… all while managing schedules and avoiding volunteer burnout.
Read More >Finance & lending trends: time to expand to new location(s)?
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.
Read More >Launch strong: 5 key strategies
A record number of new churches are launching across North America. Most will initially choose to meet in a rented facility — often a school, movie theater or community center.
Read More >