by The Church Construction Resource Center

Everyone has heard the jokes about church committees and what they do (or do not) accomplish. What things can you do to glorify God by being encouraging, productive, and effective in your meetings?   First, give thanks to God for blessings or answers to prayer since your last meeting. God is honored through our giving of thanks (Psalm 57:9-11) and recognizing our dependence on Him is a powerful way to avoid anxiety or heated emotions (Philippians 4:4-7) regarding building program issues.

Second, ask God for heavenly wisdom (see James 3:13-18) for each member of the committee and the entire congregation. Notice the evidences of heavenly wisdom as compared to earthly wisdom.
 
Third, remember the basics for successful organizational meetings. Send out the agenda in advance of the meeting so committee members have time to pray and think about items to be discussed. Be careful to accomplish the items on
your agenda before getting bogged down discussing other topics of interest or curiosity. If someone brings up a new idea or suggestion, stay on track but be polite in your response. For example-"That's a good thought. Let's finish the items on the agenda and then discuss your idea a little more."

Finally, TAKE GOOD NOTES. Microsoft Word and most major document softwares have templates for meeting agendas. Note discussion points, actions taken, and assignments (person and deadline). Then, send the notes as soon as possible for individual committee members to follow up on their assignments. Since building programs can take months (or years) from initial discussions to building dedication, it is critical to have records of decisions and assignments throughout the process. Good notes help your committee members avoid disappointment or frustration leading to anger, finger-pointing, blame-shifting, and a host of other divisive actions.

Give thanks, ask for wisdom, remember the basics, and take good notes so your committee meetings can be enjoyed, not just endured.

Our signature publication The MasterBuild Process (available from our store) will help you avoid congregational conflicts, money-wasting mistakes, and frustrating hours of meetings. These information-gathering and decision-making steps will help your building committee more effectively work with architects, builders, or church construction companies.