When beginning any church design and construction project, it’s vital to make sure that your congregation is on board. After all, without them, there would be little need to create a beautiful worship space.

Presenting the idea of adding onto or building a new church facility can be a tough sell, especially if you aren’t adequately prepared to respond to your communities concerns.

Involving the congregation from the beginning is an excellent way to create buy-in for your new church design and construction project. Use these 3 tips to make sure your ministry feels sufficiently involved with the new design and your church renovation company:

1. Explain the “why” of the project before you discuss new design plans

Growing your church congregation from 50 to 100? Want extra space for community activities, coffee bars, study areas, etc?

Explain the reason behind the need for church construction to your ministry. Then ask your congregation for opportunities that they’ve noticed and ways they can be approached through church renovations or additions. Get a feel for what your congregation would like to see, and have examples of church renovations or building expansions prepared to showcase how they’ve benefited other communities.

If you are seeking to expand the worship space, be prepared to discuss potential increases in fellowship numbers and how this may affect your church services and community. Obviously, not every problem can be addressed, but some can be easily solved, so it’s important to have an open discussion with your community and your church leaders.

This will also give your congregation a voice and allow them to take ownership of their worship space — which could bring in more passion and support down the line!

2. Explain the process, next steps, and how your community can help

After you’ve addressed the concerns of the congregation and a preliminary plan has been agreed upon, it’s time to hire an experienced church renovation company or design-build firm.

Combining the design and build processes can help to ensure your congregation’s ideas, minitstry’s needs, and the entire vision are all accurately portrayed from blueprint to dedication. After discussion and input from your community, they’ll expect their ideas to come to life.

A full-service design and build firm can work with you to set ground rules right from the start. They’ll help to make sure you (and your congregation!) have peace of mind during the construction process and avoid any headaches from unexpected budget creep and delays.

At, Vanman Architects and Builders we work with clients throughout the whole church design and construction process. Our team can help you present new design plans to your fellowship, plan ahead for construction displacement, and work with your congregation to develop an ideal timeline. Take a look at our previous church design and build work then contact us to see how we can fulfill your communities needs!

3. Use the congregation to drum up support

A community of support is something every congregation wants to grow — so use this time to make sure your whole fellowship feels involved.

Here are a few ideas our clients have used to boost support and excitement:

  • Use social media to remain open and transparent about the progress of the project.
  • Host dedications and other events that bring the community together.
  • Allow both the congregation and the community to have ownership of the worship space and the multipurpose space.

So you’ve got buy-in from your community … what’s next?

Soon, your church will be a newly refreshed symbol of hope, family, and fellowship. It may even grow from a 100-seating layout to a fully-filled 300-seat church design with the right support from your community.

In the meantime, your congregation and community may have to relocate their worship and other activities. Help your community continue their fellowship during construction without worry by reading our 7 strategies to help move your congregation during a church relocation.