There are good reasons for building a new church. There are also not-so-good reasons. Sometimes, the differences between the two are subtle. It's important that you, as a leader in your church, learn to recognize when the situation is right for a building project, and when other actions are more appropriate.

More Space Without Building
Lack of space is probably the number one reason to consider building. But be careful that you aren't just suffering from an inefficient use of space, warns Bill Chegwidden, president of CDH Partners. "Look at everything that is used and how much it is used—this can get complicated." For example, many rooms are used only on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Are the uses set according to ministry priorities? Perhaps you are attracting new people but they aren't returning. It could be because you don't have an adequate nursery for their children. What space do you have now that could become a nursery? Could you combine some Sunday school classes, or move them to the fellowship hall to make room for a nursery?

Churches may be taking a hit from the economy, but there is still much that can be done to generate a culture of generosity. Here are five specific field-tested ideas (in no particular order):

1. Be a generous leader
Generous churches are led by generous pastors and leaders. You can't take people where you haven't been—especially in the area of finances, which so often gets a bad rap in the church context.

Whether debated privately in our hearts or publicly in our church halls, one of the most pressing issues facing U.S. churches today is the economy. While our faith may be certain, current economic conditions are most certainly not. And the situation has even the most confident pastors and church leaders wondering, "How will my church survive this recession?"