Top 5 Reasons Your Church Needs to Be Renovated…Now!
It is common for parishioners to be complacent about disrepair and a lackluster facility. It becomes invisible after you see it enough times. What is also common is for church leaders to delay church upgrades with complaints about plans, protests about cost, and rebuttals about planning and processes. Nevertheless there are several reasons why the church renovations should be prioritized. Here are what we believe five of the top reasons why we shouldn’t put off the upgrades.
5. A renovated church makes evangelism easier.
2025 is the Year of Evangelism across the NAD. With Pentecost already underway, we’re being strategic about winning people to the kingdom. Imagine your best laid plans for evangelism are underway, and when those visitors walk into your building for the first time, the first thing they see is falling and broken ceiling tiles, a leaky roof, ragged floor tiles, and more. Remember, the first impression is a lasting impression. Part of the preparation for winning people to the faith needs to be manifest in the physical plant. You want potential members to be impressed when they walk into your worship space; not disgusted. Whether you realize it or not, it matters.
4. A renovated church raises morale.
In the same way that visitors are impressed by a well-kept and beautifully maintained worship space, so are your own members. Once upon a time, church buildings integrated doctrine into the design of the church (think elaborate stained-glassed windows). Parishioners drew inspiration from the edifice itself. Maybe we should get back to that. What’s most important, is that your building is already telling a story one way or another. Make sure that story is one that your members can be proud of and that would inspire commitment and buy-in with the mission of the church.
3. A renovated church keeps the church moving forward.
Every church needs a solid strategic plan. Included in that strategic plan, should be regular upgrades and maintenance to the physical plant of the church. If this new wing, new A/C unit, or new digital media system is a part of the strategic plan of the church, or even if it’s just an emergency fix, either way, marking things off the to-do list of the church gives leaders a sense of progress and purpose. Let’s make sure that the saints aren’t looking at the same broken door year after year. That broken door can become a symbol of stagnation in general.
2. A renovated church is a blessing to your successor.
This item should not be understated. “One plants. Another waters. God makes things grow.” Nevertheless, the key to making that text ring true is that everyone must prioritize their role. Pastoral tenures are trending in the direction of longer rather than shorter. However, no matter the circumstances, if and when there is a transition, don’t allow it to be the next pastor’s responsibility to do something that you could have done. Make it so that the next pastor can build on what you accomplished, rather than making up for lost time and doing double work because things were left undone.
1. A renovated church honors God.
This should go without saying. Yet, this is probably most important. Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. Let’s remember that our worship spaces communicate what we think and believe about God. It’s a poor witness for people to walk into an unkept, poorly maintained, dilapidated building. Imagine a building that seeks to witness God’s majesty and greatness powerfully. What would that type of building look like? Now, what would it take for your building to communicate that kind of message? That image, and nothing less, should be our aim.
Your renovation and building upgrade plans are likely multilayered. Welcome to the club. They still must be prioritized and executed strategically. Make a plan, and systematically move toward your goal; piece by piece and step by step.
