Building a church is not a simple process. Any organization in its initial state is very delicate, and the stakes are high. This article aims to highlight five common mistakes made in church building so you can avoid them in your process.
Starting a church for wrong reasons:
People are often motivated by wrong reasons. Here are some of them:
· Seeking the admiration of peers
· To show others that they can do it too
· Seeking to move on after a failed business project
· Wanting to enjoy all the benefits without putting in the effort
The majority is building a church for selfish reasons, which is damaging.
Not identifying your needs as a ministry leader:
A common mistake made by churches starting up is not understanding their limitations or knowing what they need most at different stages. By not understanding their needs and where they are, churches will make mistakes.
Other leaders who cannot identify the unnecessary tasks and responsibilities that they need to let go of (for them to focus on what really matters) may end up feeling overwhelmed and burned out.
Not having a strategy:
Many churches fail because there was no plan in place when the church began, or it wasn’t properly executed, or changes were made without appropriate thought or approval from others involved. A clear vision of where you want your church to be must be set out at the beginning of any project with everyone on board, including pastors. Then, if changes are to be made, make sure they are done systematically and always time to align everyone.
The foundation of any church is built on a well-constructed strategy, which includes planning where you want your organization to go, who you need to recruit for the vision to become a reality, how it will happen, etc. The infographic below illustrates some steps that can help you build your strategy.
Not hiring the right staff:
When churches begin their ministry life cycle, not having enough resources available or lacking experience in HR management may lead them to hire people with whom they have no chemistry, which causes tension! Therefore, it’s critical to identify key positions needed for your ministry early on so that when hiring new people, those roles will be filled with the right individuals.
Not having a backup plan:
Every organization, especially churches, should have a contingency plan ready to use when needed. Plans need to be updated continuously and shared with the whole team, so everyone knows what they have to do in case of any potential setback or disaster. When an unexpected problem comes along, it’s very important that your ministry can maintain its momentum and continue forward. For this not to happen, you must have a b-plan available at all times!
In conclusion, building a church is demanding, and it takes a lot of patience. The main thing to remember when embarking on this journey is not giving up on the first setback but rather taking action to correct mistakes made.
