About Author
Close
Every church building project rises or falls on the strength of its team. But that’s where many churches stumble—not with bad intentions, but with misguided assumptions. They hire an architect who feels safe but doesn’t lead. They form a committee full of well-meaning people who secretly wish they had the job. Or worse, they switch teams halfway through and wonder why the whole thing feels like it’s starting over.
These next three mistakes all come back to one thing: misaligned people slowing down the process.
Let’s unpack how to avoid that.
When it comes to hiring your architect, one of the most important questions to ask is this: Do you want a waiter—or a ministry partner?
There are two kinds of architects:
The Waiter shows up with a notepad, takes your order, and draws exactly what you ask for, no questions asked. It’s usually the local architect with a couple of church projects on their website—just enough to say, “Sure, I can do a church.”
“New auditorium? Great, how many seats?”
“More kids space? Sure, how many square feet do you need?”
That might sound helpful… until you realize that you’re expected to be the expert.
Waiter-architects aren’t experts in church design. They’re wired to check the boxes and give you exactly what you ask for—nothing more. So unless you or your team already understand ministry flow, design best practices, and budget strategy, this approach can leave you with a beautiful building that misses the mark, and blows the budget.
The Ministry Partner, on the other hand, asks hard questions. Pushes back. Understands how architecture shapes growth, behavior, movement, and ministry. And knows how to design for impact—even on a strained budget.
Too many churches hire a waiter when what they really need is a ministry partner—someone who can lead, not just take your order.
That’s why choosing the right architect isn’t just a technical decision—it’s a leadership one. You’re not just hiring someone to draw plans. You’re choosing someone to help lead the entire process.
Only in the church world can you hire an architect and a contractor… and then form a Building Committee made up of the very people who wish they got the job.
We’ve seen it more times than I can count. A church hires an architect and a contractor… and then forms a committee that includes:
Stacking the team with experts might feel like the safe move—but it often sets the stage for conflict. They weren’t chosen. And now, consciously or not, they’re steering the project toward their preferences, their priorities… or their “price tag.”
Undermining your confidence is their job interview.
You want to supersize your Crisis of Confidence? Put these folks on the team. And if you don’t fully trust the architect or contractor you hired, the real question is: then why did you hire them?
If you’re planning to include experts on your building team, set expectations clearly from the start. Say it directly:
“We’re asking for your counsel—not your contract.”
And if things go sideways, be clear that you’ll look outside the church to rehire the team, and that you don’t expect them or their buddies to pick up the pieces. When you remove the competition from the table, you can trust that their advice is about the mission, not their portfolio. Their wisdom might be helpful. But their alignment matters more.
Ever notice how every time you hire a new children’s pastor, you end up needing to spending money on redecorating? That’s because every new team wants to mark their territory.
Building Teams are no different. New members redraw plans, revisit decisions—not always because it’s better, but because they want it to be theirs. They weren’t part of the journey, so they hit reset to feel ownership.
But here’s the reality: Switching teams midstream never moves things forward—it sends you back to the starting line.
We’ve seen churches lose six months—and in some cases, millions of dollars—because someone new joined the team and wanted to rework what had already been decided.
Sometimes it’s even worse. A church finishes master planning with a “Futures Team”… and then hands the entire project to a freshly formed “Building Committee.” Maybe it’s in the bylaws. Maybe it’s an effort to involve more people. Either way—it’s a recipe for chaos.
If you’ve chosen the right team, stick with them. Don’t reset. Don’t restart. Don’t re-invite debate over what’s already been aligned.
Momentum matters more than perfection. So, trust the team that got you this far—and keep building.
Explore the next costly mistakes churches make during the design and construction process:
Mistakes 5–6: When Churches Budget Backwards »
Or if your missed it: 🔙 Mistake #1: Flinching Under Pressure Instead of Leading with Conviction »
