Architects and Contractors play integral parts during the course of a new church facility project, but they are only equipped to handle a part or parts of the process and not the whole project. Furthermore, it’s inherently impossible for either the Architect or Contractor to be completely unbiased. For example, if the Architect is acting as the manager of the entire project and a design issue is identified, can the Architect represent the Client in a true, non-biased way if the Architect erred in design? If the Contractor is the PM, when mistakes are made during construction, who is there to account for a mistake and to hold the contractor liable for its resolution? What experience do either an architect or contractor have in the myriad of other responsibilities including site selection, negotiating terms with a lender or projecting future attendance and giving? You need to hire a professional project manager (PM) with church experience.
A PM will be the orchestrator of your entire project, not just a specialist in one particular component of it. A church qualified PM has experience selecting and managing Architects, Design Consultants and Contractors and can speak the same language. The PM understands the tasks and responsibilities for each of the components of a project and has worked on several similar projects. They have seen many of the mistakes made before and can apply these lessons learned, helping its clients avoid these on their project. The PM can challenge the Architect and Contractor to dig deeper for new creative ideas instead of the same old “off-the-shelf” solutions. Furthermore, the PM can be the “bad guy”, in a professional way, holding the Architect and Contractor accountable to their commitments related to schedule, quality and costs.
Perhaps one of the most important benefits is that your PM can insulate your staff and your attenders from the day-to-day challenges of an expansion project. This includes daily emerging challenges involving the design, engineering, construction, financing, and dealing with the municipality. When your church announces its decision to expand, it will bring out congregants with a particular expertise desiring to participate and even lead the project. The urge to self-perform can be great, especially when considering the cost of a church experienced PM. But usually a church experienced PM will save your church more than the cost of their fee. We have seen rifts emerge between the church family and members when things go wrong when a church has chosen to “go it alone”. Engaging a PM will help you church keep focus on its core mission and keep unity amongst its members.
Additionally, when the project is announced, congregants desiring to contribute in-kind products and services can create tension between this congregant and staff. While they are well-meaning and their excitement for the project is appreciated, your PM can remove the responsibility of church staff or the building committee to handle the interaction and the vetting of possible in‐kind contributions.
CFS recommends that your church’s experienced professionals be considered for serving on the building committee and not performing in a direct role. Each have day jobs and cannot dedicate the time and resources needed to properly manage a complex project—unless of course they are getting paid as your PM.
If you’re considering a church facility project, our Church Facility Solutions (CFS) team is here to serve you. CFS works with churches to create strategic facility expansion plans. We are a full-service commercial real estate development organization committed to serving churches. This vision aligns with our principals’ personal values as followers of Jesus Christ.
CFS provides A to Z services including strategic planning, financial feasibility, site or building selection, capital campaign, financing (as owner’s representative), project team selection, project and construction management (also as owner’s representative), furniture, fixtures, equipment, audio, visual, light procurement, and relocation coordination.
For more information on Church Facility Solutions, check out us out at https://churchfacilitysolutions.com or contact us at info@churchfacilitysolitions.com.