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In working with churches across the country, my architectural firm has addressed many recurring questions, issues, and concerns regarding building programs. Following are basic, helpful answers to some of the most asked questions.

Q: We have an older sanctuary that is too small. We are afraid of construction costs for a new building, but have been told that bringing our existing building up to current development standards is going to be even more expensive. What should we do?

A: Every situation is different, but the first step is to have your facility evaluated by a competent professional. If you have significant damage as a result of water, termites, or neglect that would require the very structure of the building be replaced, renovation could indeed be more expensive than a new building. However, if you simply need more worship space and the primary problems with the existing building are exiting, handicap requirements, or just general modernizing, you may be better off renovating than building new.

(Now, if you need additional space and your existing sanctuary could be used for teen worship or as a multipurpose room without modification, building new can also make more sense.)

Have the building surveyed to determine the extent of the needed modifications. If the problems are substantial, have a cost-to-benefit ratio conducted to weigh the renovation costs with what you will actually achieve. If the price is too high, new construction may be the only alternative.

As an example of the importance of evaluating options, my architectural firm was contracted to design a new sanctuary with a construction budget of $1.2 million. After reviewing the existing sanctuary, we were able to design a way to renovate it for $300,000 and seat fifty more people than the proposed new sanctuary would have seated. While such a solution is not always possible, this is a good example of what can happen with proper evaluation and planning.

Logistics are an additional consideration regarding renovation. If you cannot maintain worship services during construction, alternate facilities will have to be secured, and those costs must be factored into your evaluation.

We want to add a second-story addition to our church, but were told that in order to comply with the American Disabilities Act, we will have to add a very expensive elevator. We want to honor the Act, but are afraid that the budgetary impact may delay our project. What are our alternatives?

Some confusion exists as to the extent (or even if) churches have to comply with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The ADA does in fact exempt churches from complying, but it must be understood that the ADA is a "civil" law, not a building code. Your architect will be able to tell you whether the local building code requires accessibility. In every jurisdiction I have worked with, the building code has required churches to be accessible.

Handicap accessibility in a renovation project can be a daunting task. As Christians, of course we want to be open to all, including our physically challenged brothers and sisters. Still, when faced with the cost of providing wheelchair access to all areas of the church, assisted listening devices, and aids to the visually impaired, the question often becomes, "We don't have any handicapped individuals in our church at present, why should we have to do this now?" Frankly, it really doesn't matter whether a church has handicapped members now or not. During new construction and renovation of existing buildings, structures must be made accessible.

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