How To Set Up A Building Committee

In a successful building program, the building committee has major responsibilities of a building program if it is to be a success. In a smaller congregation, the building committee may need to perform all the research and analysis with the help of a few subcommittees and the church staff. In a larger church, a greater number of subcommittees will be needed to assist the building committee. An ideal size of the building committee is between five and seven people. The more people you have on the building committee, the less work you will get done. The more people you get on the subcommittees, the more real work will get accomplished in less time.

The building committee should be of both men and women, younger and older that are made up of visionary leaders who represent the entire congregation and have the confidence of the people. The committee does not need contractors, developers, tradesmen or subcontractors. These types of people are more valuable if placed on a construction subcommittee. The building committee members are sometimes chairmen of the subcommittees and will represent that subcommittee to the building committee.

Subcommittee
The Architect encourages congregational input and, through a systematic communication flow from the interested church member to the building committee, the Architect is able to obtain information necessary for the proper planning of the new or remodeled facility. Therefore, in order that congregation’s input is obtained and all church members are able to participate (in some form or another) in the planning process, subcommittees should be formed.

Each building subcommittee specializes in a particular area of concern and gathers and organizes information of that specialty. Each subcommittee is chaired by a member of the building committee so any input gathered during the subcommittee meetings can be addressed during the building committee meetings. This allows for congregational input in a systematic and organized manner. The architect will be present at scheduled building committee meetings.

Each committee chairperson should enlist one or two key persons whom they want on their committee. Opportunity should be provided for every interested person who wishes to volunteer and serve on the committee. In some cases the church building committee appoints members for all committees, and then attempts to secure their agreement to serve on the committee.

Whatever method is used, it is important to involve as many persons as possible in this phase of the church building project. Do not rely on public announcements or newsletter articles alone to secure volunteers. Some people who ought to be involved will not volunteer. Members of the church building committee should make personal calls to any persons who have not volunteered and encourage them to "sign up" as a member of the committee of their choice. Smaller committees are typically easier to manage than larger ones. Some committees will need more workers than others. Therefore a subcommittee may range from 3 to10 people.

Once the sub-committee is organized, it is time to have a general meeting to get everyone on board. It is strongly recommended that the building campaign be discussed early in the planning phase of the program. There must be no question of unity or purpose. If someone is not 100% on board and in unity on the need to build, then they should not be part of the building program. Members can and will disagree on many details, but they must be unified in the purpose and the goals for building.

The following is a listing of possible subcommittees and are listed for your consideration. Several of the committees may be combined into one subcommittee for smaller congregations. Do not form any subcommittees that do not apply the project.

Finance / Fund Raising Committee
Sanctuary / Worship Committee
Christian Education / Preschool / Daycare Committee
Fellowship and Kitchen Committee
Interior Design / Furniture and Finishes Committee
Multipurpose Committee
Library / Media Center Committee
Audio / Visual and Lighting Committee
Property / Grounds / Landscaping Committee
Church Growth / Ministries Development Committee
Construction Committee

List Of Tasks
The tasks of the building committee shall be that of a leadership position within the church. The following should be the major goals of the committee during the planning and construction stages of the project:

Interview and hire an architect.

Review and analyze the work of the subcommittees and prepare a program (with the aid of your architect) for the congregation's approval and use in the design process.

Work directly with the architect during the several phases of designing the building and planning the site.  Review designs for approval and cost estimates of those designs.

Set target dates for progress reports and for the subcommittees to have their work completed and their written reports presented to the church.  Your architect should provide you with his schedule of tasks that are required from the church building committee that can be a framework for the committee’s tasks and target dates.

The subcommittees should make regular progress reports to the building committee according to the target dates for such reports, and the building committee should make progress reports to the congregation. Keeping the congregation and church staff informed of critical information concerning the project development is paramount.

Decide on the construction contracting method. Your architect can help in this process.

Review and approve all contract documents prior to bidding and start of construction.

Accept bids for the construction and stay informed of the construction work.  Have meetings with your architect every two weeks by an appointed construction representative of the building is critical. This person becomes the single source of information for your architect and the contractor. This person reports back to the building committee on a regular basis. 

Consider the budget and church finances at every phase of the planning and construction. This would involve the review of the contractor's monthly pay request after being approved by your architect. Close communications with your finance committee is also important to review cash flow and the status of the various funding sources being used for construction.