Chinese believers are enthusiastic about building new church buildings, but it is not just about creating a place for worship. It involves a complex process of approvals, funding, design, and construction. Each step requires careful consideration and planning. In other words, building a church requires a strategic plan.
Pastor L, the chairman of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of a city in East China, who has initiated the construction of over twenty churches in more than a decade, provided insights into church planning, design, and construction.
Three key elements in church construction planning: layout, design, and quality
Firstly, proper size and layout planning are crucial for church construction. Pastor L emphasizes the importance of aligning church construction with the country's policies, such as rural urbanization.
In the city where Pastor L serves, the urbanization level has reached 70%. Considering the local conditions, he plans as follows: constructing grand churches in county and city areas, moderately-sized churches in towns and streets, and small, exquisite churches in rural areas.
It's crucial to have a forward-thinking mindset, Pastor L highlighted. It is known that inadequate planning in some regions has led to the waste of resources. In certain rural areas, two large churches, built five or six hundred meters apart, had to merge due to decreasing rural populations. One of the churches was closed, resulting in the wasteful expenditure of millions.
In addition to layout and size, Pastor L placed great emphasis on the design and quality of churches. In terms of design, he suggested building the church in a Chinese style, not confining to the traditional Gothic style.
Regardless of the church size, Pastor L invites professional design institutes to design churches. He opts for a frame structure rather than a traditional brick and concrete house or a simple structure, aiming to achieve a balance between aesthetics and safety. He emphasized that the construction project meets a high standard of quality to be aligned with the development of the times.
In church design, the central church under Pastor L's leadership incorporates an underground parking lot connecting the main building and ancillary buildings, which is a forward-thinking mindset. Additionally, they also built a training center that doesn’t have dormitories. Students can get home from the training center in 40 minutes to an hour by electric bike instead of taking long bus rides like in the past. In the evening, they can go home to take care of the elderly and children.
Seize the opportunity and actively raise funds to build a church
During the church construction process, obtaining land and fundraising pose significant challenges. In this context, the organizational and coordinating abilities of church leaders are crucial.
In a testimony during a dedication service, a pastor shared that the church had missed two opportunities for building. Local officials twice offered land for church construction, but the older pastor in charge at the time declined because he wanted to keep the old church that his forebears had built. The completion of the new church happened when the new leadership seized the third opportunity.
Some church leaders worried that relocating the church might disperse the congregation, therefore missing a good opportunity to build a church. There was a substantial congregation even twenty years ago in an area, with the money to build a new one. However, due to the evolution of urban planning, obtaining land for construction has become increasingly difficult. With limited capacity, this old church has to increase worship sessions to meet the demand for gatherings for believers.
Some churches miss the opportune time for reconstruction due to financial reasons. There are three different funding scenarios: some complete construction with debt; some build-in stages based on financial capabilities; and some miss the construction timing due to prolonged preparations. Regrettably, some completed churches end up being sold off due to overwhelming debt. As land prices rise, the construction of the new church is delayed, though the church continues to save money, which is a disappointing case.
Pastor L suggests that church leaders build churches according to their needs and economic conditions without unnecessary competition. He also emphasized the importance of effective pastoral care; without it, congregants' contributions may be insufficient.
In recent years, due to urban development and the eagerness of congregants to improve worship conditions, there has been a surge in the construction of church facilities. When planning church construction, it is essential to have a strategic approach and take into account varied factors. Seizing opportunities and making timely decisions are also crucial aspects.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
各地教会信徒都不缺乏建堂的热情，但建堂不是简单地建好一个房子，有个聚会的地方；而是涉及审批、资金、设计、建造等多项环节的庞大工程。每一步都要仔细思考、规划。换言之，建堂需要战略思维。
L牧师是华东某市基督教三自爱国运动委员会主席，他在十多年的时间里组织建造了全市二十多所教堂，对建堂规划、设计、建造有独到的看法。
建堂规划三要素：布局、设计、质量
首先，建堂要做好布局规划、规模引导。这一点上，L牧师特别提到，建堂要顺应国家的大政方针，主要是我们国家当前的趋势——农村城市化。
L牧师所在的城市，城市化水平达到了70%。根据当地情况，他如此规划：县市区建造高大上的教堂；乡镇街道建造适度规模的教堂；农村建造小而精、袖珍式的教堂。
在规划教堂建设时，L牧师这样前瞻性的思考非常重要。据了解，一些地方因为在建堂过程中缺乏妥善规划，导致劳民伤财。有的农村相隔五六百米远就建了两个大教堂，随着农村人口减少，教堂合并。其中一个教堂被撤，白白浪费了几十上百万。
除了布局和规模，L牧师对教堂的设计和质量同样极为重视。在设计方面，他强调教堂应考虑基督教中国化的要求，不必拘泥于传统的哥特式风格。
L牧师主持建造的教堂，不论大小，都邀请专业设计院进行设计；并采用框架结构而非传统的砖混结构或简易结构，兼顾美观和安全。他强调，教堂的建筑质量必须达到上乘水平，并与时代的发展相契合。
在教堂设计上，L牧师负责的中心堂点，一是设地下停车场，连通主堂和附属楼；二是培训中心不设宿舍。地下停车场的设置体现了牧者的前瞻性。至于培训中心不设宿舍，L牧师解释道，学员骑电动车四十分钟到一小时就能回家，不再像过去需要长时间的长途公交。培训期间也可以回家照顾老人小孩，兼顾家庭责任。
建堂还需把握时机、积极筹措资金
在建堂的过程中，批地和筹集资金是两大难题。在这个过程中，教堂负责人的组织和统筹能力非常重要。
在某次献堂典礼上，一位牧师分享了教会曾经失去两次建堂机会的经历。当地有关部门曾两次提出要给教会划拨土地建房，当时带领教会的老牧者因为想保守前辈的遗产而拒绝了。此次新堂建成，是新的领导班子抓住了第三次机会。
还有一些教会领袖担心信徒因为教堂换新址而散掉，迟迟未下决心。该教会在20年前就有了众多信徒，具备实力建造新的教堂。但如今城市规划大致成形，教堂要批地建堂更加困难。老堂容纳能力有限，只能通过增加礼拜场次来满足需求。
也有教会因为资金的缘故错过了建堂时机。在建堂资金筹措上，教堂的做法大致可分为三类：有的教堂在建成后面临负债，有的则按照能力分阶段建堂，还有的因为长时间的筹备错过了建堂的时机。令人痛心的是，有的教堂建成后因为负债太大而不得不卖掉。有的教会一直攒钱，但地价一直上涨，新堂迟迟未能开建也让人惋惜。
L牧师建议，教会负责人从本堂实际情况出发，按照需求建造教堂，不要互相攀比。同时也强调，要做好信徒牧养，牧养不到位，信徒奉献款就上不来。
近些年来，因各地城市建设、信徒急于改变聚会场所的建筑设施，改善敬拜的条件。教堂在规划建堂之际，应有战略思维，通盘考虑；也要抓住机会、当机立断。
华东牧者：教会建堂需要有战略思维
Chinese believers are enthusiastic about building new church buildings, but it is not just about creating a place for worship. It involves a complex process of approvals, funding, design, and construction. Each step requires careful consideration and planning. In other words, building a church requires a strategic plan.
Pastor L, the chairman of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of a city in East China, who has initiated the construction of over twenty churches in more than a decade, provided insights into church planning, design, and construction.
Three key elements in church construction planning: layout, design, and quality
Firstly, proper size and layout planning are crucial for church construction. Pastor L emphasizes the importance of aligning church construction with the country's policies, such as rural urbanization.
In the city where Pastor L serves, the urbanization level has reached 70%. Considering the local conditions, he plans as follows: constructing grand churches in county and city areas, moderately-sized churches in towns and streets, and small, exquisite churches in rural areas.
It's crucial to have a forward-thinking mindset, Pastor L highlighted. It is known that inadequate planning in some regions has led to the waste of resources. In certain rural areas, two large churches, built five or six hundred meters apart, had to merge due to decreasing rural populations. One of the churches was closed, resulting in the wasteful expenditure of millions.
In addition to layout and size, Pastor L placed great emphasis on the design and quality of churches. In terms of design, he suggested building the church in a Chinese style, not confining to the traditional Gothic style.
Regardless of the church size, Pastor L invites professional design institutes to design churches. He opts for a frame structure rather than a traditional brick and concrete house or a simple structure, aiming to achieve a balance between aesthetics and safety. He emphasized that the construction project meets a high standard of quality to be aligned with the development of the times.
In church design, the central church under Pastor L's leadership incorporates an underground parking lot connecting the main building and ancillary buildings, which is a forward-thinking mindset. Additionally, they also built a training center that doesn’t have dormitories. Students can get home from the training center in 40 minutes to an hour by electric bike instead of taking long bus rides like in the past. In the evening, they can go home to take care of the elderly and children.
Seize the opportunity and actively raise funds to build a church
During the church construction process, obtaining land and fundraising pose significant challenges. In this context, the organizational and coordinating abilities of church leaders are crucial.
In a testimony during a dedication service, a pastor shared that the church had missed two opportunities for building. Local officials twice offered land for church construction, but the older pastor in charge at the time declined because he wanted to keep the old church that his forebears had built. The completion of the new church happened when the new leadership seized the third opportunity.
Some church leaders worried that relocating the church might disperse the congregation, therefore missing a good opportunity to build a church. There was a substantial congregation even twenty years ago in an area, with the money to build a new one. However, due to the evolution of urban planning, obtaining land for construction has become increasingly difficult. With limited capacity, this old church has to increase worship sessions to meet the demand for gatherings for believers.
Some churches miss the opportune time for reconstruction due to financial reasons. There are three different funding scenarios: some complete construction with debt; some build-in stages based on financial capabilities; and some miss the construction timing due to prolonged preparations. Regrettably, some completed churches end up being sold off due to overwhelming debt. As land prices rise, the construction of the new church is delayed, though the church continues to save money, which is a disappointing case.
Pastor L suggests that church leaders build churches according to their needs and economic conditions without unnecessary competition. He also emphasized the importance of effective pastoral care; without it, congregants' contributions may be insufficient.
In recent years, due to urban development and the eagerness of congregants to improve worship conditions, there has been a surge in the construction of church facilities. When planning church construction, it is essential to have a strategic approach and take into account varied factors. Seizing opportunities and making timely decisions are also crucial aspects.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Pastor: Building Churches Requires Forward Thinking
