We have new land!

How do we begin to plan for a campus that will meet our long-term vision and ministry needs? What if those needs change over the next decade? 

These are valid questions which, if not answered correctly — at the beginning — can be very costly and even devastating to future growth opportunities.

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I often say that designing and building ministry facilities is not a business decision or an economic decision; it’s a Spiritual decision. 

If you study the major building projects in Scripture, you will quickly discover that the blueprints and designs for every building were in Heaven before they came to earth. Moses spent 40 days on the mountain, and God was downloading every detail for the tabernacle — even down to the furnishings. When David handed the plans of the temple to his son Solomon, who would later build this building, he said, “I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and He enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.” 1 Chronicles 28:19.

Nehemiah said, as he walked around the broken-down walls of Jerusalem, “I did not tell anyone what my God was putting in my heart to do for Jerusalem…” Nehemiah 2:12.

I believe this principle still holds true today for planning and designing ministry facilities. As you and your leadership team begin the journey to plan a new campus, it is important to lean not on earthly wisdom and understanding but to trust in the Lord to direct your steps, your thoughts and your vision.

With that principle leading your way, you can begin to think forward about how your new campus facilities should be placed, planned and designed. When we plan for ministry facilities, we must focus on vision, function and purpose, not just form, metrics and materials. What I mean by that is simply shown in the following formula:

If you start with simple metrics — how many seats, how many kids’ rooms, how large of a gathering space — you can plan and design space that might not actually work for the way you do ministry. Or if you focus on what the building looks like (its form) and miss the culture of the church, you can end up with a campus that does not accurately reflect the true heart of the ministry.

It takes careful weaving together of the ministry elements with the necessary architectural components to ensure your campus will function well, communicate your mission and vision, and expand as the vision and ministry grows in the future. This is a very delicate balance, driven by the spiritual component, that provides a master plan that will serve your ministry well for decades to come. 

It should always be about the “Why,” not just the “What”

When you engage a partner to master plan a campus, it is important to step outside the box of what we can afford now or what we need now. Your master planning process should step back and up; you need a 20,000-foot view, you need to dream big, you need to plan for the unexpected. 

I like the Biblical analogy of planning for the Promised Land! What is the big, hairy, audacious dream of a ministry campus that serves your community, serves your ministry needs, and creates a place that communicates who you are as a church? That is the Promised Land vision. The current needs and current funding ability will determine what part of that plan can be constructed in the initial phase or the Red Sea crossing on the way to the Promised Land. The bigger picture allows your team to consider how all the future pieces of the campus will fit together, how to place infrastructure, how to correctly plan utility sizes, how to size storm water requirements, and more. Far too many times, churches and their designers plan the first phase of a building without any thought as to future growth. As

designers, we often encounter projects where a building expansion is needed, but to facilitate the expansion we have to move utility lines, enlarge water or electrical services, relocate transformers, and so on. This is usually because little was planned beyond the first building that was constructed.

Also in planning for future growth is the consideration of how the future buildings will connect and fit into a contiguous plan. When a master plan is designed correctly, there will be some kind of hub or spine that can continue to grow or expand, allowing future buildings to be a part of that common space. New guests should be able to enter the facility and find each and every ministry with ease from the main gathering. Nothing is more intimidating than winding through hallway after hallway looking for the spot to check in your kids, find a restroom, or a meeting room for a ministry event. A carefully planned campus will allow for future connectivity no matter how large the facility might grow.

Don’t get in the weeds of all the future phases

I’m not a fan of planning what phase 2 and phase 3 will actually be.

What if you need more seats in the sanctuary before you need more children’s space?

What if the children’s ministry grows quicker than anticipated? Can we move that into phase 2 instead of 3? 

Perhaps we need to push the offices into a future phase because the priority for new or expanded ministry space supersedes the administration wing. 

A flexible master plan is the only way to plan for ever-changing ministry needs. Plan where future buildings will be located; plan how they will be connected to the initial phase; plan approximate sizes and potential uses; but do not spend time or money planning every future phase and all their details. In my experience, we have thrown away more detailed master plans than we have used. 

The vision or the way we do ministry today will likely change in the next decade, so why spend the time and dollars to detail every building when you cannot, with certainty, know what you might need next? A flexible plan will allow you to grow your facilities as your needs and methods change but have the infrastructure in place to facilitate expansion.

Master planning a campus takes a great team relying on the direction and vision of the Lord, using experience, skill and discernment, and keeping your eye on the Why, not the What. So many churches build buildings without the consideration of what God might do

through them that will require more space, larger facilities, and greater plans. Don’t be caught in that trap. Dream big, plan well, and expect great things!

Rodney C. James, a former pastor, is president and founder of Master’s Plan Church Design & Construction in Tulsa, Okla.

 

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4 PASTORS’ PERSPECTIVES

Examining the benefits of master planning in practice

 

Church Executive: How did it become clear that a building project was in order at your church?

John Dowdey: The need to build became clear when the space we were in no longer served the mission effectively. It seated about 195 people; we added a third service because we were averaging 400. It was pretty tight.

We moved out, renovated a building, kept growing there, and ultimately got to a place where we were landlocked. So, we decided to go back to a setup-and-tear-down location in a high school convocation center with stadium seating for 894, which allowed us to go to two services.

Our commitment was that if the Lord kept sending us broken kids, we would create more seats or more space — that concept of having ‘room for one more.’ The problem was, we weren’t just running out of seats, we were running out of margin to serve people well. Growth plateaued. Volunteers were stretched too thin within inadequate spaces.

Then, we noticed families deciding not to return. They’d say, ‘We love the service, but it’s just a lot. My kids are overstimulated at check-in.’

That’s when we knew that it was time to act.

Grace City Church (Albany, Ga.)

 

Brynn Copron: That ‘80-percent primetime service’ rule is just so true; we’ve hit it a thousand times. We were at four services in our old building before COVID; that space seated 250. Now, in our new building, we are at three services.

Also, the kids’ spaces felt so crammed and chaotic. It created a lot of tax on our volunteers. They felt exhausted.

Finally, families didn’t feel like there was enough space. Often, when that happens, those families stop coming.

Dr. Lenny Hardoin: In 2016, prior to my arrival, the church bought 17 acres for a great price with the intention to build on it. Originally, church leaders triangulated ‘cross-country’ with an architect, a builder, and an AVL company. Our current building was supposed to be sold right before COVID happened, but that sale fell through. Meanwhile, the triangulated plans for the new facility went awry and we scratched the whole plan.

In 2021, attendance picked up again. Seating capacity at our two services maxed out, and parking was limited.

Aside from all this, it has been on Pastor Randy [Harvey’s] heart for a while to move on. It was now or never.

In 2022, I reached out to Rodney [James] and got the ball rolling.

Ben Murray: At City Hope, we make expansion decisions by carefully weighing the need first, then evaluating how it aligns with vision, and only moving forward if there’s a genuine opportunity. We intentionally avoid forcing movement based solely on vision or desire.

We follow a structured decision-making process, especially when considering whether or not to add a new service or location. Key indicators include:

• Auditorium reaching 65% to 75% capacity over a sustained period (while ensuring no gathering drops below 45%)

• Ongoing growth in weekend attendance

• Pressure points in kids’ space, parking, and volunteer infrastructure

• The ability to maintain 20-25 minutes between services for effective transitions

• Leadership strength and systems readiness

Before any addition, we work to strengthen weekend-critical teams and systems; identify and remove potential obstacles; communicate well with stakeholders (staff, trustees, volunteers); and ensure compensation, care and celebration are in place for those impacted.

We view service or location additions as missional moves, not just logistical ones — always grounded in stewardship, strategy, and spiritual sensitivity.

Church at the Crossing (Dothan, Ala.)

 

CE: How familiar were you with the concept of master planning when the decision to build was made?

Hardoin: Over the years, I was involved with a lot of building projects as a school principal. So, I had some familiarity with master planning.

Giving our past experiences we felt we didn’t want to employ  disciplines in different regions or states — general contractor, architect, AVL and so on. Instead, we opted for an all-in-one design-build approach.

Copron: I was vaguely familiar with master planning as a concept, but also, [James] was really good to allude to it and show us.

We’ve actually conceptualized the master plan twice now, having doubled the amount of land we own. I think the beautiful thing about master planning is that it lets you dream big without being overwhelmed. It gives us permission to ask ourselves, Over the next 30 years, what would we love to see?

Just taking those bite-sized pieces and knowing that, Hey, this is all working together, that feels like better stewardship. It feels like forward vision and forward excitement.

Dowdey: Honestly, I wasn’t deeply familiar with master planning; Rodney James introduced us to the concept. I don’t often get to tell people this, but one of the kindest things that he did for me back in 2022 or 2021 was give me a pamphlet on four signs you’re not ready to build. I read it, took it to heart, and was like, Man, we’re not ready.

It helped us realize that we aren’t just constructing walls; we’re creating the framework for future ministry. If it wasn’t for [James], I’d probably still be in that fix-it-now/put-some-duct-tape-on-it mode.

Murray: We were generally familiar with the idea of master planning but quickly realized how much more comprehensive it needed to be. Working with Master’s Plan helped us understand that it’s not just about space — it’s about creating a ministry tool that can flex and grow with the church over decades, not just years. Their process helped us step back from immediate needs to think long-term about how each element of our campus can support ministry impact over time.

Crossing Church (Woodlands, Texas)

 

CE: What main objectives did your church bring to the table when it enlisted Master’s Plan?

Murray: Our main objectives were to: design a space that reflects how we do ministry, not just how much space we need; plan for long-term growth without future redesign headaches; prioritize flexibility and scalability, especially given our desire to be a multisite church; and exercise financial wisdom by preparing for both launch and sustained operations, including having six months of operational reserves at launch.

Copron: At our church, the biggest thing was that our building looked nothing like the experience. It was like walking into an abandoned nightclub. Still, we had four services in that crazy building.

We craved a space that would be open, welcoming and excellent. It needed to be a place where people would walk in and understand us right away — and we have it, now. While interviewing a staff member from across the country, he told us, ‘I walk in this place, and I know what you’re about.’ I love that.

Hardoin: First and foremost, we wanted to know what we could afford because building costs had risen to $350 per square foot at that time, in 2022. Originally, our building was going to be 36,000 square feet; we whittled it down to 22,000 square feet because of what we were comfortable borrowing, what we had in savings, and so forth.

Part of that process was Rodney asking, OK, what are your needs? What are you wanting to achieve? From there, we came up with a three-phase plan.

And of course, if we sell our current building, then that will accelerate some things. But right now, we have two properties that we’ll be managing.

Dowdey: I came to the table with three big objectives: clarity of mission, stewardship of resources, and flexibility for the future. We wanted a partner that would help us discern not only what to build, but why — and how to build it in alignment with the church’s heartbeat.

We had a bank willing to give us some money to renovate a space here in Dothan. But honestly, without master planning, I think we would’ve gone ‘building broke’ and been unable to do ministry the way we do now.

Master’s Plan didn’t just ask us, ‘What do you want?’ Instead, they asked, ‘What are you called to do?’ That reframe made all the difference.CE: Rodney James emphasizes that church building projects should always be about “the Why, not just the What.” What has this ethos come to mean to you?

Murray: This philosophy has been foundational for us. The Why reminds us that buildings serve ministry — not the other way around. Every space we plan must create environments where people can encounter God, find belonging, and take next steps in their faith journey.

Keeping the Why at the center helped us prioritize guest experiences, volunteer spaces, children’s ministry needs, and future flexibility over just square footage or architectural form. It shaped everything from our layout decisions to how we think about multipurpose space and long-term adaptability.

Copron: I think this mindset really shapes everything we do. We always ask our team, What’s the Why? We’re not going to add another ministry for the sake of having another ministry.

Rodney echoes that ethos in such practical ways; I think that’s why we hit it off. Other builders were asking, ‘Well, what exactly do you want it to look like?’ or ‘What are you trying to do?’ Meanwhile, with Master’s Plan, we had permission to focus on why it was being executed as it was instead of, Hey, we need a new building, and this is what people think it should look like.

Dowdey: Focusing on the Why became the cornerstone of our project; it anchored every decision we made, from laying out the lobby to designing the kids’ check-in area. It really reminded us that it’s not about square footage, it’s about stories. We want to be able to create a space that allows us to tell stories of families finding freedom, of people getting saved.

Our vision statement is that we exist to participate in moments of Grace. So, in making tough decisions, we’d always return back to the question: Does this serve the mission? That clarity has really just kept us unified and focused.

Hardoin: Our vision is: That every person is restored to God and the life He created them to live. This is the driving burden behind our building program. By investing in a building, it’s allowing us to reach more people and expand that reach generationally. It’s a long-term investment based on our vision.

City Hope Church (Wichita Falls, Texas)

 

CE: In what ways has the flexibility of master planning been most beneficial in your project?

Copron: Our needs are always shifting. As much as we want to think we can anticipate everything, we just can’t. Having these flexible spaces that we conceptualized early on has made our building such an asset whereas it really could have otherwise become a limitation in certain areas. We’ve been able to use every square foot in so many more ways than we expected or planned to. It’s really that strategy — that multi-use strategy, that long-term master plan idea — that enables us to serve today’s needs but remain ready for opportunities.

Dowdey: I guess ‘the blessing of the pause’ is what I appreciate most. On my own, I can be, like, I want to do this, and I want to do it now. But master planning has created space.

A quick story: on Easter Sunday this year, one of our founding members was in attendance. (Our church actually started in his home.) When he walked past me, he slipped something in my pocket and said, ‘We’ve got to build the Kingdom.’

Coincidentally, I’d shown the building plans that Sunday morning.

After church, I took out what I thought was a note but ended up being a check for $250,000! I just cried.

So, yeah, I think that if the church was completed in the way I initially wanted to see it done, we probably wouldn’t have paused long enough to see the Lord move all through this. We’re just giving the Holy Spirit room to move, honestly.

Hardoin: Our project won’t be completed until later this year, and we still have our current property. I say this because once we go into our new building, we may be managing and paying for both properties. Although our current property may sell before our occupancy date, moving into the new building in stages, or phases, was more financially prudent. There are some things we just might not get unless the money comes in — say, extensive landscaping or having an access road come in from the highway.

Also, from a strategic standpoint, master planning allows us to recalibrate as we go. The sanctuary was designed for 520 seats, but we’re getting 630 seats, thanks to the type of chair we chose.

Murray: We’re still in the capital fundraising phase of our building journey, but the flexibility inherent to master planning is already shaping our plans.

As a young and growing church, we know that committing to a fully built-out facility too early could limit future ministry. That’s why we’re committed to a phased approach — building what we need now but designing with a broader long-term vision.

Additionally, because we feel called to be a multisite church, we don’t view the building as the only growth pathway. Launching new locations will likely play as much of a role in reaching people as constructing additional square footage. Our master plan reflects both expansion tracks — physical and strategic.

— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh