PROJECT COMMITTEE

Building committees have many responsibilities and duties, but their importance lies in these three critical aspects of construction projects:

  1. Identifying your needs: Effective building committees evaluate the needs for new construction, renovation, or remodeling projects and how these align with the church’s vision and mission.
  2. Planning to address these needs: Once the needs are identified, this committee focuses on planning everything that needs to be agreed upon before the project begins. They’ll interview contractors, architects, building managers, and other key parties. They’ll also report to the congregation and establish clear communication channels to ensure everything runs smoothly.
  3. Overseeing project completion: Most building project details fall on the building committee. The main part of committee members is keeping everyone informed of progress and setbacks and monitoring the project to ensure it stays within what’s been agreed upon by all the parties involved. Should anything jeopardize the project, it’s the committee’s job to oversee the consequences and refer to the other committees for the next steps.

At Catalyst Construction, we’ve seen firsthand how organizing as few committees as possible is critical to a successful project. Clients often come to us with too many committees that slow down the process. We analyze the planning and project phases to designate committees based on efficiency, not confusion.

We believe in streamlining committee members to create the least confusion and ensure we’re developing efficient voting processes that help the project move faster.

How to Select a Church Building Committee

Given the importance of a church building committee at Catalyst Construction, we suggest our clients take the committee-selection process very seriously. While each project needs different committees and leaders, we always recommend you focus on these parameters to choose the members:

  • Pick a leader for each group they represent: Committee leaders don’t need to be experts in the subject. Ideally, they’re individuals who can communicate well, listen thoughtfully, and clearly deliver information.
  • Give each committee defined objectives: Each committee and each member should understand their objectives. This might change depending on the committee structure your project needs and the various roles assigned. Nonetheless, before anyone agrees to their role in the committee, ensure they fully understand what’s expected of them.
  • Diversify your members: Select people of diverse experiences and ages. This helps ensure your committee has a different perspective that can come in helpful when making decisions. Avoid filling out committees with members from only one demographic or background. Younger members will have a different perspective that can be essential for church growth.
  • Select people with a collaborative spirit: Committee members need to be deeply committed to the congregation and the project. You’ll want to select members who feel genuinely connected to the cause and recognize the honor and responsibility of being a committee member.
  • Ensure links to the church leadership: Don’t forget to establish a clear path to the administration. Committees need to directly connect to the church leadership team to develop clear goals, communication strategies, and processes.