This week we are moving our offices to the new facility. Please pray that we will obtain the necessary certificate of occupancy permits today. We are up to our eyeballs in boxes here in the office. I love moving because it requires everyone to change. Change is good - especially when handled correctly.I recently read Bob Whitesel's book, "Growth By Accident, Death By Planning." It's a basic guide on how not to kill a growing congregation. Bob spends an entire chapter on pitfalls to avoid when moving into a new facility. I thought I would share them with you this week and then give my own comments.
1. Don't build too soon. Most portable churches grow weary of the grueling setup/tear down routine and therefore look to buy land/build a building/renovate an exisitng building within the first couple of years of getting the church off the ground. We know all about this at PCC. We've been at this portable church thing for over 6 years. We made a decision to take our time and keep our focus on people, not buildings or programs. Yeah the portable system requires a lot of blood, sweat and tear equity. But in the long run it has helped us develop ministry, volunteers and a sense of community.
