Assembling a Church Building Expansion Committee

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The process of expanding and developing a new church facility involves the collaboration of church leaders, church staff and congregant volunteers along with Development Advisors (“Advisors”) as the project leader. This document is intended as a guideline to select the most appropriate individuals to participate on the steering committee (“Committee”) for a proposed new ground-up church project.

Formation of the Committee

The Senior Pastor and the Elders (or other name your church may use for the ruling group) have the responsibility for targeting Committee candidates and assembling a church building expansion committee. Once a candidate is identified, an informal interview should be conducted in which Committee responsibilities are described and the suitability of the candidate is determined.

The purpose of the Committee is to:

  1. execute the Vision articulated in the strategic plan (Advisors Phase 1 Report);
  2. render either timely decisions or decision recommendations to the Elders;
  3. assign and account for the completion of project tasks;
  4. formulate the messages to be communicated with the larger congregational body; and to
  5. create finance, communications and other subcommittees as necessary (see below).

The Committee operates as follows:

  • Advisors lead the new facility project in collaboration with the church.
  • The church approves the meeting schedule and location.
  • The church provides input into the agenda for each meeting.
  • Along with the Committee chairperson, Advisors will facilitate Committee meetings.
  • Advisors will take notes, monitor tasks and follow-up with Committee members to ensure that the project moves along smoothly.
  • Meetings will be held as needed but usually every 2-4 weeks during Phases 1-3 and usually every week during Phase 4.
  • The best-sized Committee can be up to 7 persons.
  • An ideal Committee would include both men and women; young and old.
  • There must be a Committee subgroup of no more than 1-3 persons (“Core”) who can respond quicker than the Committee.
  • The Core may gather periodically by telephone as necessary to timely render decisions.
  • The Committee and the Core must have a chairperson who will be Advisors primary point-of-contact throughout the project.
  • The church adds or removes individuals from the Committee as necessary.

The best congregant candidates possess one or more of the following:

  • have a passion for the church development project;
  • have been involved in other projects and ministries for the church;
  • have been involved with oversight of church operations;
  • have or had ownership of their own businesses;
  • have useable skills in real estate, development, construction, design, finance; or
  • have evidenced a consistently willingness to donate financial resources to the church.

Committee candidates must be:

  • members of the church for an appropriate amount of time;
  • team players;
  • listen as well as they express themselves; and are
  • action-oriented (make things happen).

Committee responsibilities:

  • Members must intend to participate for the entire project duration.
  • Core members must be willing to commit to the entire project duration to ensure continuity.
  • Members must be able to attend most meetings.
  • Members must be willing to read emails to stay abreast of the project.
  • Members must be willing to commit several hours a week (not always every week). Advisors estimate that approximately a majority of a Committee member’s time will be spent in meetings.

In addition to the Committee, the project will rely upon the input and collaboration of the following:

  • Board of Elders: who make the final recommendations and decisions for the church. Advisors expect to meet with these church leaders on a regular basis—typically monthly or quarterly.
  • Staff Executives: consisting of the Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, Adult Ministries Pastor, Youth Pastor, Worship Arts Pastor, Children’s Ministry Director, and Office Manager, and others that lead the church operations. Advisors expect to meet with these staff executives on a regular basis-typically bi-weekly or monthly.
  • Finance Sub-Committee (to-be-formed): composed of a member of the Committee as well as “numbers” people, who are already involved with church finances, who can assist with setting-up and maintaining the project’s accounting and who will oversee the project budget and cash flow. Advisors expect to meet with finance committee on a regular basis, especially prior to construction to set everything up and during construction when disbursements are made.
  • Communications Sub-Committee: composed of a member of the Committee as well as the Senior Pastor, other committee members and Advisors for the purpose of planning the timing of and dissemination of information to church congregants. Advisors expect to meet with this committee on a regular basis-typically bi-weekly or monthly.
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