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Your A-Z Guide to Church Building Projects

CONTACT DETAILS Church Growth Trust 1 Manor Farm Barns, Baines Lane, Seaton, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 9HP 01536 201339 enquiries@churchgrowth.org.uk churchgrowth.org.uk Church Growth Trust is the operating name of Church Growth Trust Limited, a registered charity no. 1138119, and a company limited by guarantee no. 07352319, registered in England

CONTENTS A Welcome Area

N Nurseries

B Pre-Contract Meeting

O Injuries

Careful Planning

Problems

D Decision making and Delegation

Q Quality contractors

Engaging the contractor

R Retention

Faith and Trust

Safe storage

G Generous Giving

Talking to neighbours

H Highlights of a project

U Utilities

Intercession

V Vision and visuals

Juggling

W Watching

K Contractor terms

X X Factor projects

Yesterday’s project

Optimising space

Leadership

M Money

Introduction In February 2021, the team at Church Growth Trust (CGT) accepted a 12 month challenge to supply regular news articles featuring helpful advice on different aspects of church property building projects. The aim was to take every letter of the alphabet and create a useful and sometimes creative slant on this topic. One year on, CGT’s staff can confirm that they have completed this, and CGT has now made this available as one document for you all to read

Welcome Area

About ten years ago, a fellowship in North London decided that they needed to build a more spacious entrance area with quality WCs and a new kitchen. In this way they would be Extending a warm welcome to visitors. As you might imagine much has changed. The original planning consent expired and a new planning permission was obtained. This included the need to secure a Road Closure Order for part of the site. Ownership of the building – Roe Green Hall in Kingsbury – also changed as did the occupying church. But the outgoing fellowship was committed to God’s work and blessed the new church in helping to meet the financial cost of a new welcome area. And whilst it has taken more time than we had hoped for the project to go forward we can see that God has been kind and His timing has been perfect in so many ways. As a result the building contractors were instructed by Church Growth Trust in October and began building a new welcome area. There are some photographs below.

Pre-contract meeting Beginning the building project on site is a big moment. Work started on site at Roe Green Hall, Kingsbury on 7 October 2020 with a target finish date of 15 February 2021. These dates were agreed at a Pre-Contract meeting on site a week before. Church Growth Trust were there as both Client, represented by John Duffield, the Property Manager and as Contract Administrator through in-house architect Jonny Heaney.

John Duffield CGT Property Manager

Jonny Heaney CGT Architect

Kings Church, Harrow, sent three people – the leader of the church, the leader of the church plant at the Hall and an elder who is acting as on-site liaison throughout the project. The Elder is also going to take photos as the build moves forward. Finally the Contractors were represented by their builder and architect. After introductions, all seven people present agreed on the day-to-day site management, how stakeholders would be kept in the loop, how bills would be paid in a timely fashion to help cash flow and the main lines of reporting. After that, the detail of the build itself was left to the Contractors

and Jonny. Jonny meets them once a month on-site for a progress meeting and sends an update note to the team via email. Another way of keeping in touch is through different groups on WhatsApp (Other forms of electronic communication are available) – it is nimble and allows photos / videos, instant messaging and means urgent matters can be dealt with quickly. The first meeting is crucial to set the way forward for the project. Having a small, focussed and united team who all know their roles and are trusting one another to fulfil their tasks is the positive and constructive way forward, literally.

Careful planning Careful planning in the use of time, particularly during holiday periods, can produce genuine benefits for no additional cost. For example Christmas can be a challenging time for a building project. Often contractors leave site for anything up to two weeks, particularly if outside works are involved. This is because days are very short, more often than not the temperatures are low meaning concreting and brickwork needs very special consideration and also work generally becomes more hazardous. The external works on our current project had largely been completed before the Christmas holiday. Moreover the lockdown as a result of the Covid Crisis meant that the building was going to be empty over the Christmas period. As a result our contractors, who are also genuinely committed to the project, took advantage of this to make real progress on the project including laying the underfloor heating and concreting the floor. Planning like this has meant that the project looks more likely to finish on the due date which is very pleasing indeed. Even if there were not a lockdown, careful planning of the timing of events and the use of the building would have produced the same outcome. Careful planning, co-operation and commitment are essential commodities in a building project.

Decision making and Delegation Decision-making needs to be Delegated to a nominated person in a transparent manner and with clear Directions from the outset of any project. Dealing in a Direct and Decisive way with Demonstrable backing and support from all sides is the Distinctive that Defines nearly all successful building projects and allows the project manager to Drive things forward. Without this, there is a great Danger that there will be Disruption and Disputes. These will nearly always lead to Delays which can be Deadly both to the control of finance and momentum in the Delivery of the intended building project. Disharmony of this type will often Demoralise participants and Depress supporters. In the end everyone in a Christian building project is Doing everything for the glory of God. Demonstrating this in our Dealings with all will be Transformative in every Biblical sense of that word. Avoiding Dramas and Distractions will be Decisive in Delivering the Desired outcome. DV.

Engaging the contractor Engaging the contractor is a key part of any building project. This is usually managed by an architect or building surveyor acting as project manager. The first task is to identify contractors. Normally the best way to do this is by word of mouth where effective contractors are either already known to the project manager or someone within the project has either worked with them or seen them at work. A list can then be drawn up of at least three firms but before this is finalised, the financial viability of lesser known contractors should be checked since a seemingly competitive price later could lead to the appointment of an unviable and unreliable party with disastrous consequences. It should be said that at the moment clients should not be surprised that finding three viable contractors can prove to be a genuine challenge.

Marius and Beno of Coste & Beno – contractors for the Kingsbury building project

Once the tender prices are in, the project manager will check these with the contractors so that they can be presented to the client in a format that compares one with the other easily. In addition to price, there will be equally important considerations such as good working relationships, a shared vision, safe working practices and perhaps most important of all, availability. The best contractors with an excellent reputation may not have immediate availability. There can be hard decisions at the point of engagement including whether to wait for the preferred contractor, which has a further risk that the tender price might rise with a few months delay, or move forward more quickly with another. Prayer, careful planning and co-operation will be key to moving forward with the engagement.

Faith and Trust Faith and Trust is at the heart of what we believe as Christians. And it also should be the basis of the working relationship between participants in a building project. Once a project has begun it is the original contracting parties who need to remain visibly engaged in it and committed to one another. This is not to say that everything will go forward without a hitch. The best plans are derailed by unforeseen events. The acid test in a crisis though is how, collectively, the project team responds to secure the best outcome and this requires faith and trust that everyone is focussed on the same objective. This can help the realisation that every person involved, whether client or contractor, is essentially on one team. Whilst it almost goes without saying that one party has contracted the other to deliver an outcome, a successful outcome will be for the mutual benefit of both parties. Faith and Trust can and should lead to Openness and Honesty which are the highpoint of any relationship and particularly so in a building project. It allows the experience to become truly enjoyable despite the challenges. When both client and contractor embrace this approach wholeheartedly then faith and trust will be the glue that holds the team together and allow the desired outcome to be achieved. And what actually happens, and has happened at Kingsbury, is that it leads participants to reach further and higher together. It leads them to achieve more and to see more of God’s blessing and guiding hand. 10

Generous Giving Generous Gifts and Giving are an early indicator as to whether a building project has the potential to Get out of the Ground. This is because all stakeholders within a fellowship need to see that they have an interest in what is being proposed to be built. Gifts and Giving are a direct response to the love that God has poured upon us in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and are a mark of faith which recognises that we are but custodians of all that God gives to us. In the case of a building project the giving that is made must be over and above the normal weekly giving. That weekly regular giving powers along the day to day work of any Christian fellowship / church. It is extraordinary and additional generous giving for the one off building project that will either bring it to fruition or literally leave it on the drawing board. This is not about generosity with time or prayer but about money. Money is needed to pay the bills that will be generated. But the goal is to build something that brings glory to God by its use in bringing the gospel to a world that needs to hear the momentous news that Jesus saves. The result for those who do give is a deepening. A deepening unity with those who are delivering the project, a deepening insight and respect for all those who serve in their various capacities and a deepening faith in and gratitude to our God who delights to give.

Highlights of a project Highlights of any building project are when either key stages of the project are closed out, for example the wiring or central heating, or the architects technical drawing of a building elevation or a particular building feature suddenly becomes a reality on site. Capturing these moments on camera and in video is really helpful for at least three reasons. Firstly, highlight videos enable the leaders of a project to share progress almost instantly with supporters and stakeholders. These can include an onsite commentary whilst the video is being filmed and can be backed up later by sharing additional still photographs with sub-titles. On one of our projects the bible was shown to be the literal foundation of the building as bibles were filmed being placed into the foundations before they were poured. A follow up video showed the pouring taking place. Secondly, highlight videos and photographs can form a very useful database for the future management of the building beyond the project itself when different people who are new to the building can use these to familiarise themselves with what was there before and what is there now. For example we have already shown previously a photograph of the underfloor heating of the Kingsbury project and that will be a helpful record for others to understand what services are where if ever there is a need to break open the floor. Finally, it is only after the moment has come and gone that you realise that you wished you had a highlight of a part of the project. Installing a time lapse camera or cameras on a project can be very interesting and helpful in capturing the whole life of a project for posterity.

Intercession Intercession and Inspiration are vital elements to a successful project. From Inception, ongoing prayer for the protection and success of any project is Indispensable. So too is the willingness to remain open to Ideas that will bring Impetus and energy. So far these fortnightly articles have stressed the need to stay focussed and remain on track throughout a building project. They have warned against changing ideas and plans mid-project. This is because variations outside what has been agreed in a contract or delaying works can prove costly. What is more such changes normally do not bring any genuine benefits. By contrast, seeking a solution to a knotty on-site technical or financial problem through prayer and the exchange of thoughts can often trigger Inspiring answers and outcomes. This process must recognise that the project manager is the one who will make the final decision. However, Innovation when up against difficulty is often essential. An openness and willingness to listen to what God is saying through others with their experience and engagement can be Instrumental in finding often quite Innocent-looking but powerful answers to apparently Intractable problems. We should commit ourselves to Intercede continually for a project and expect to be Inspired.

Juggling Juggling a number of different elements in a project at any one time was once seen as a sign of management strength, reliability and even competence. It was thought that the person who had so much on their plate must be important and clever. But the juggling approach has two fatal flaws. Firstly, just as in a circus, juggling is putting on a show of cleverness and business. The reality of course is that sooner or later the project manager is going to drop a ball. The performance will stop, potentially catastrophically. It is just a matter of when and over what. There are stresses and strains of decision-making in any project. Some may be time critical. At these points it needs a level head and calmness to make the judicious decision in a timely and accurate way, not someone who can barely string five words together in 30 seconds. The second fatal flaw is that in having made a decision the project manager does not have the ability both to keep it under review and react equally calmly and with humility if that decision turns out to be wrong. Honesty and humility are vital to the integrity and deliverability of any project. The project manager who can be seen unhappily juggling so many different things and unable to react coherently should not have been chosen to lead a project. Calm and sound judgment is crucial in picking the project manager and an essential quality in the project manager. All projects need a judicious leader, not a performing juggler.

Contractor Terms Knowing when money is due to be paid out is crucial to the well being and smooth running of any contract. For this reason the contract has to be discussed in detail right at the start of a project and this will include both dispute resolution and payment of invoices when presented. A key element of trust between building contractor and client is that the former will only invoice anticipated and agreed levels so that the client can manage its cashflow and equally that the client will pay all sums due when demanded so that the contractor can pay employees and bills for materials. Any breakdown in this process will injure a project severely. For example the client must not use withholding payment of an authorised invoice as an unauthorised weapon with which to make some personal point of principle because “they sign the cheques”. All that this will do is kill the goodwill of the contractor. Every client needs to understand that a failure to pay a contractor monies that are properly charged when they are due will, as sure as night follows day, lead to a potentially irreparable breakdown of the relationship between contractor and client and cause serious damage to a project. When this happens the sums of money or other issues which are supposedly in dispute are likely to appear as a pin prick when compared to the agonies that will result from the loss of trust that failure to pay will engender.

Knowing when the money is due to be paid out is intended to help both client and contractor to keep the project properly oiled so that everything runs smoothly and to budget. Any variations to this can be addressed through the channels of communication established for this purpose.

Leadership Leadership, Listening, Learning and Leaning are four Living words which will be evident in any successful building project. In the first instance there must be Leadership, that is there is a Project Manager (PM) who will lead the project and whose leadership will be respected and honoured throughout the life of the project, both by the contractor and by the PM’s clients. If this respect is not present, or the client constantly seeks to chip away at the PM’s authority in public, then the project is likely to be uneven, more costly and much less enjoyable. Equally, the PM needs to demonstrate from the outset the key skill of Listening, that is giving sufficient quality time to listen to and understand the needs of all parties and then to respond rather than leading the project in a cavalier and insensitive way leaving all parties in their wake and being wilfully ignorant of the terrible impact their behaviour is having on the project. A third quality that both a PM and contractor will have is the ability and willingness to being open to Learning. Contractors should be willing to either innovate themselves or have clients that can innovate, often in ignorance, but in a way that can bring significant advantages to a project. The PM that encourages thinking beyond their own experience can help parties feel fully engaged and valuable members of the team and the contractor in particular will feel more confident as every effort is focussed on getting the project across the line as quickly and efficiently as possible but in potentially new and better ways. And finally, the PM and team that are Leaning on God throughout, as well as each other at times, will enjoy and share with one another the challenges, battles and victories as a project progresses knowing that, in the end, it is God who is in control and that He Loves to bless his children. 16

Money Money is a vital part of any building project. A church ought to know that sufficient money is available to fund a project before going out to tender. This ensures that prices from a tender can be accepted in good time. Where projects are costly and there is not enough money already at the bank before going out to tender, work will be needed to seek the extra funds in the following order. All monies should be gifted as restricted funds to the project to make sure they are kept apart from the regular church giving. The first step is to ask church members to give cash. For those who do not pay tax this will be a gift of money and, for those who do pay tax, a gift of money with gift aid which will increase the value of the gift by 25%. For example £80 with gift aid increases to £100. Secondly, church members can be asked to pledge to give money but only if the project goes ahead. Thirdly, members can offer a loan to the church, with or without interest, and with or without the requirement to repay it within a specified timescale. Fourthly, a regular giving scheme for church members can be set up. This could even run during the build phase of the project until its completion but this giving by individuals would be for them to give “over and above” their regular giving, not instead of.

Once all these monies have been given or pledged, the church will be able to calculate the total amount and see if there is likely to be any shortfall. This can either be met either through grant funders bridging the gap or through seeking a loan or mortgage, if this is available and viable for the church. In the case of the latter, this will have to be factored into the annual budget of the church long term to ensure that any commitment can be met. Once the picture on the money for the project is clear, tenders can then be sought with greater confidence. Ideally, tenders should not be sought in ignorance of whether a church has the money or not. That is unfair on contractors and does not commend the gospel.

Nurseries Nurseries often hire church premises. A building project can present a challenge to nurseries in at least two areas. The first challenge is if the nursery can continue to operate during the building work. This can be both from a safeguarding and a Health and Safety point of view. Safeguarding will dictate the protection of children and ensure their continuous safety. Building work can be disconcerting for everyone! It is vital to review the work planned to eliminate any chance of a moment’s inattention on anyone’s part. Checking in and out procedures too need to be resilient in the face of potential distractions. There is a need too for permanent physical barriers to be in place at all times. By the same token, any work that is taking place near where children and adults are likely to be passing and repassing needs to be risk assessed and potential hazards identified. All parents and carers need to be made aware on a daily basis for the life of the project both the risk and hazards that are present and the protection measures that are in place. This is because different people may arrive each day. A means of telling people daily what is happening is important. It is clear that the building work should be planned to reduce any interface between the work and the nursery users to a minimum, especially during the times of arrival and collection at the nursery. The second area of challenge is where a building project includes an area due to be used in future as a nursery. In any building project there is cost / benefit analysis undertaken and a church building project is no different. Works needed to secure Ofsted approval for a nursery, such as a private designated outside play area, may be seen to have a limited benefit to a church on a day to day basis yet it will have to be paid for. This additional cost must be balanced against the witness of the 18

church through what it offers to the community. Often the provision of a nursery is a tremendous blessing to the local community. Some nurseries may be willing to support those on low incomes in the way they administrate their nursery. Moreover the daily coming and going will give the church the ability to engage with parents and carers as they arrive and leave, perhaps by offering a café service or a breakout activity. By doing the work the church is actually giving itself the chance to show the love of Jesus to those coming to their building and to reach out to them with the Gospel. This has to be added to the balance when weighing up the costs of any building project.

Injuries Occupational therapy needs to be avoided as an outcome of a building project. It is very serious if this is an outcome of the project because chances are that someone has either hurt themselves or been hurt by something during the project. Whilst the project manager and the contractor will be formally responsible for the management of Health and Safety on a contract itself, nevertheless there is a need for EVERYONE to take ownership of health and safety during the lifetime of a project, even if you are not working on it. Many work accidents have been followed by someone remarking: “I could see that was going to happen. I am amazed it has not happened before.” This shows that even if you are an observer of building work, you do have something valuable to contribute which those involved cannot see for themselves. Or it may be that someone is taking shortcuts in their work which may harm either themselves or someone else. The key thing, just as in the story of the Good Samaritan, is not to pass by on the other side and say it has nothing to do with you. You might feel that you are going to get abuse. But the aim in all projects must be that everyone stays safe, that everyone can go home when their work finishes and come back to work the next day, or after the weekend. We do not want anyone to be hurt or worse. We all have a role to play in making sure that people are safe and that occupational therapy is not needed. It will sometimes require courage to say something to a contractor but your care, concern and action may help change working practices and prevent a serious accident.

Problems Planning, problems, people and perspective are all parts of a properly piloted project. Reactions to that statement are likely to be mixed. This is because it says that Problems are part of a properly run project. Those people in a project team with the least experience will not plan properly or with any rigour. When a problem arises, as it does in every single project no matter how small and uncomplicated, they will have an unreliable perspective. This is likely to make them PANIC and cause this to be spread through the whole team or they will become PARALYSED with fear so that the problem is not addressed and just gets worse. Whilst neither of these reactions are likely to be ultimately fatal to the project, using the wrong people with the wrong perspective who have not planned for all eventualities will become a big problem. The crucial part of any building project is planning and this takes two parts – firstly is all of the advance work that is done to prepare for the project including agreement as to what is to be built, getting an experienced project manager in place, understanding the detail of a project and how much it will cost and that the builder has been properly and formally appointed. The second part may be the Planning permission to build the project. Once all permissions, permits and contracts are in place, what is then certain is that unforeseen problems will occur. It is how they are dealt with that are the acid test of the quality of the planning, the people and the sense of perspective. If the planning has been carried out properly there will be an agreed mechanism and methodology for how to deal with problems and that, at root, will be through the people. The quality of the relationship, the experience of the personnel and the trust between the project manager and builder is absolutely key to resolving problems sensibly, at least cost and with minimum delay. This is because they are the people who have the best perspective based on their experience and on the prior planning they will have done on the project. 21

Quality contractors Quality contractors are hard to find and even harder to hire since they are likely to be in high demand. Project teams can almost become quixotic about this and lose touch with reality. However, the speed at which building costs can rise will be one quandary that a client will be in as they decide if they can afford to wait for the “right” builder. If a project team decide that they want to delay for a specific contractor then they need to consider other impacts that can arise. For example, keeping neighbours informed as to when building work is and is not going to start and how long it is going to take can become questionable. It carries with it a reputational risk, both for the church and for the gospel. Another issue to consider, and which is current, can be that an architect may have specified or the planners require the use of particular building materials / finishes which today may be in good supply but at the moment that the contractor becomes available are in short supply. This will lead not only to increasing the materials price but also increasing the overall cost of the project through additional unforeseen delay as it waits for the product to become available. Another aspect of a building project to watch quite closely is the delay between securing a planning permission and starting the project itself. This can be overlooked as the tasks of raising enough finance for a project, keeping up with rising prices and agreeing a contract with the quality builder then satisfying the pre-conditions of the permission can, in some cases, mean that the planning permission expires and has to be re-applied for before the project can start. The best way to avoid this potential quagmire is for clients to be quick-witted, once permission has been secured, to determine what quotient of time is available to satisfy all preconstruction matters and to appoint a Quality contractor.

Retention

Recommended considerations in a building project include the following: Retention is a mechanism in the contract by which a client is legally able to protect itself at the end of project for faulty workmanship. The retention is normally a percentage of the total contract price and is retained for an agreed period – typically six or twelve six months – after which time it is paid out to the builder upon the satisfactory rectification of any building defects which have arisen during this period. Building Insurance – Most buildings carry building insurance but insurers need to be notified in advance of the start of a building project to be sure they are on notice. This lets them make any changes to the cover or any actions on site that they require for the cover to remain valid and effective. For example, if hot working is taking place and a fire starts as a result causing damage to the property, it can be seen that if the insurer was unaware of the building project this could cause a problem with the policy and any claim. Liquidated damages – these are damages that can arise on the project and impact the client immediately and financially. It would be normal for the client to specify the level of Liquidated Damages to cover the impact of the project running beyond the agreed contract period so that the building is unavailable for use or that no rent is payable. The sum covered will need to be agreed with the builder before the contract is signed.

Advance payment – in order to begin work on site the builder will need to buy building materials and potentially hire equipment. In some circumstances the builder may asked to be paid an advanced sum to cover this, but the amount needs to be considered in the light of both the value of the contract as a whole and the build time. Certain written Building Contracts will have a provision for dealing with advanced payments if required. Normally the remaining contract sums will be paid in arrears on submission of monthly valuations based upon works completed on-site which will include carrying forward an element of retention, as described earlier. The key to the advance payment and any subsequent payments is trust. The client must be completely RELIABLE in the paying of invoices promptly when they are submitted and approved. Delay can be very serious for a builder and the longer the delay for the larger amount of money could imperil both the viability of the builder, the project and the client / builder working relationship.

Safe Storage Safe and secure storage of materials and equipment is a key matter of any building project and a mark of a good and competent contractor. It must be said too that this is true not only on a building project but also in the use of the new property. As has been seen in previous articles the contractor is normally “in debt” through the life of a project. Whilst a large part of this will be wages for workers and sub-contractors, the remainder will be for materials and equipment. If building materials or equipment are damaged when they are stored on site or lost / stolen this represents an actual loss to the builder and a potentially significant increased cost to the client. This increased cost takes the form of time delays whilst the lost items are replaced and the project is stopped. Today this is much more likely with the shortage of certain building materials. Coupled to this are the increasing costs from the suppliers that arise because of the shortage. The contrast is that safe and tidy storage of materials and equipment on site contributes in large measure to both their being kept in good condition and also to their not hurting anyone. Often the hasty and clumsy storage of items can lead to these falling over or dropping, leading to their being damaged and worse, hurting someone as they fall. Interestingly this also applies to church materials and equipment when the building is finished and re-occupied. Most readers will have seen at some point hazardous stacks of chairs in a church building that are too high, too heavy and often unbalanced. Churches normally keep too much stuff in too few 25

cupboards and on too few shelves. Cupboards will spring open as soon as the latch is turned due to the weight of materials pressing against the door. When you meet these situations, do not walk by. Take action, even if you are a visitor to that church. Tell someone and if possible help them to take some action to address the unsafe issue there and then, if perhaps only in part with a warning notice. Safe and secure storage of all materials and equipment will go a long way to minimising the risk that anyone is hurt and that in the case of a building project, it can move forward smoothly, safely and as planned to its completion.

Talking to neighbours There are many “T”s in a building project. Thanking God for His blessing and provision of a building and the finance is always a good place to start! Talking to your residential neighbours would be the next key action to take. It is crucial to commend the gospel in the way the work is implemented and this means Telling our neighbours exactly what is happening. Hopefully this will have been done already at the planning phase. During the building phase agreeing, for example, the Time for the work to start on site each day and how much time is spent on site on a Saturday will be vital to avoid discontent and possible complaints to the Local Authority. Providing a point of contact within the church will be a great kindness and help to head off any potential issues that might arise. There is a vital need to live as a good neighbour during the project because the building work will finish and you will still be neighbours! The Training of all key staff used by the contractor / builder is another area to consider. It is important that the church’s project manager has sight before the project begins of all the relevant training and qualifications of the staff being used on the project. The purpose of this is to ensure that people are doing what they are trained to do which limits the potential for accidents and also ensures that insurance covers in place are not invalidated. Tea time will be important to the contractor and his staff – there needs to be an exclusive and safe space allocated for the workers to take lunches and comfort 27

breaks away from the working area. The space will also need a fresh water supply. Traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular, loading and parking is another key consideration to ensure that both pedestrians and other road users are not unduly inconvenienced or put in harm’s way by the works. This will mean careful risk assessing of transport and traffic including a safe system of working where perhaps deliveries are made outside the rush hours and children going to school. Equally, there will need to be complete separation of pedestrian traffic so that there is NO possibility of people straying onto the work site.

Utilities Utilities or Underground Assets or Services are known more simply as Gas, Electricity, Water, Drainage and Sewerage. Early attention to these assets needs to be taken in any building project as these come into play in some way or another. This is true even if it is as simple a task as turning them off while work is being done and then turning them back on. Important information for the architect , planner and contractor to know as early as possible is what utilities are present. What they will need to establish is not only where any pipes and or cables are and run but also their size and position / depth. Very often acquiring accurate information, particularly on drainage runs and the depths and inverts of drains, will require a topographical survey. This information is vital when drawings are being prepared so that any planning application to help to prove that drains will run and meet Building Control approvals. Information will also need to be found about where many of these services are found in the street adjoining the property and this can be done via a streetworks search to each utility provider for the area. Even when all this information has been obtained it is vital that the conditions governing the easements in which the utilities are laid are established and understood, ideally making contact with the utility provide as early as possible. This

can even be the case if the work taking place near to an asset is as simple installing some fencing. A mistake when dealing with Underground Assets such as Electricity or Gas could prove fatal. Equally, interrupting an electricity supply by digging through a main cable using a JCB could not only prove fatal but might lead to a massive insurance claim for consequential losses from third parties in addition to the added costs to the project itself. Other considerations involving utilities may include making arrangements to maintain supplies if other parts of the property are being used regularly or making alternative arrangements such as a generator for electricity for the duration of the project. In any and every event, the key thing is to have as much information as possible to hand BEFORE any work takes place and that when the project is about to start, to make sure that the Contractors Dial before they dig.

Vision and visuals Vision and Visuals are two things that are important in any project and will help energise it and encourage supporters. Every project should have a clear Vision that comes from the leadership of the church. This vision needs to be repeated consistently throughout the life of a project. Ideally this Vision should be in writing and be capable of forming an integral and key part of any planning application that is made for the works. And the Vision will communicate to everyone what the church hopes to achieve in and through the building project so that everyone understands it and can get behind it. However, words can only take the vision part of the way. Most people are quite poor at envisioning drawings that are two dimensional so what is needed, to literally bring the Vision to life, are vivid visuals. These can be in the form of hand rendered three dimensional artist’s impressions, three dimensional images and in the case of much larger projects three-dimensional “fly through” graphics where viewers are literally taken inside the building to that they can view it almost from every angle! As the project comes to life, further visual encouragement can come in the form of short videos, often taken from a mobile phone, together with on site photographs. These can be uploaded to a website regularly and supporters notified by email when the next instalment is available. Another fascinating visual can be achieved through the use of a time lapse video, taking a shot every so many hours or simply perhaps on a daily basis. This can help record the progress of the project and be an invaluable historic record of the creation of the building. Indeed it can go on being an asset for the church throughout its life as it looks back and remembers regularly God’s blessings to it through the building.

Watching Watching contractors working day in, day out and seeing a building come together is probably the second most thrilling part of a building project. At the start, depending on the type of project, everything looks underwhelming. If it is dry then there may be lots of rubble and dust and if it wet then rubble, mud, water and dirty footmarks everywhere! It is as if a field has been ploughed and a seed planted. Things look rough and unformed. The absence of any real progress seems to go on for a long time but then the transformation starts. Things on site begin to neaten up and a sort of order starts to take shape, howsoever silently (well not really!) but without fanfare. Materials appear on site, ideally as neatly stacked piles or rows. And structures start to sprout , often literally, from the ground. The building starts to grow. The workers seem to enjoy this stage more than the beginning calling to one another cheerily. Eventually, the building really starts to take form. The outline looks like it should but without the important stuff that you need to use the building properly. Like a crop growing in the field there is a stalk but not much else. Yet as the Mechanical and Electrical works take place and plugs, lights and radiators appear, it is like the ears forming and then filling out on the wheat stalk. And then comes the most thrilling part of a building project – harvest time! Using it! The excitement, wonder and joy are almost palpable. God is good and loves to bless us. But W stands for Watching. Enjoy the watching while it lasts. Time lapse photography can be really helpful as it helps succeeding generations to enjoy seeing God’s blessing in action, so to speak. There is a special Wonder in Watching.

X Factor projects X factor projects are those where dedicated people with an X factor in who they are and how they operate produce a building with an X factor impact. The Kingsbury project is one such. A visit to the property reveals how a modest yet well-designed extension has been transformative in a way that goes beyond the simple adding of space. The Church Growth Trust architect, Gill Pedler, by her skillful use of line, space and light designed a space which is not only multi-functional but also enhances both the existing building and what it provides but also the visual amenity of the area and the positive visual impact of the building. When you stand in the space created there is a palpable sense of enjoyment and wonder which is essential for a place of worship but of course that feeds into the works of service and love that also take place. The people who built this space, Beno and Coste, and the project manager, CGT’s Jonny Heaney, also had an X factor. In addition to their being followers of Jesus, they also added to the project investing themselves, their efforts and their ideas into creating the best space that they could. And it shows in the quality of the finishes, the optimal use of space and the tiny alterations that they suggested and implemented as the project went forward. Finally, there is the X factor of those using the building. They too have invested themselves thoroughly in the project from providing a point of contact, Clive Burrows, on site throughout the build phase, 33

to Leader David Straughton agreeing a letting of an area for a Nursery and facilitating alterations to make that space as good as it could be through to responding, through Errol Breda and the church, with a complete redecoration and refresh of the premises and other complementary work to the building so that it has the X factor being much more than the sum of all the parts. Ultimately the projects with the X factor are those where we see God is in control, that He is to be worshipped, that He can be trusted, that His timing is perfect and that He can be trusted through the ups and downs of a project’s creation and delivery.

Yesterday’s project Yesterday’s building project, in 10 years’ time, may become today’s new building project. There are few buildings that are immune to the need for renovation and reinvention, seemingly within a relatively short time span. This view is based on empirical rather than anecdotal evidence. The Equality Act and the desire to render church buildings as more open, welcoming and user friendly have heightened the need to continuously improve buildings and have provided the momentum for change. This has been further accelerated by improvements in building materials with the consequent innovations then available through building design. This can mean that buildings that were improved some years ago now look closed, utilitarian and inflexible in use. Buildings, although fixed in terms of their physicality, are actually living organisms responding to the needs of those using them. The rigidity of previous design and construction may reveal that they are not able to adapt and support those who use them. And the needs of those coming to a church building are not only physical and practical but also spiritual and emotional.

The church building should commend the gospel both to its locality and to those visiting it. For this reason keeping the use of the building under constant review as a building project is a worthwhile and helpful action. Even if there are no physical obstacles to entering a church building, a building should show itself to be welcoming to all emotionally too. For example a bright, light and airy entrance with clear glazed entrance doors and a level door sill from 2021 will be in stark contrast to a set of steps with an imposing pair of unglazed wooden double doors at the top of them. Noting these and other potential changes will allow a future building project to be well informed with genuine evidence of actual needs. It should also allow an occupier to make small effective adaptations, where finance allows, to meet needs sooner rather than later. For example, an adaptation to a building to allow a nursery to operate from the space will not only allow a service to be provided but also offer the potential for many more people to be reached with the gospel.

Optimising Space Zoom, YouTube and Teams (other media platforms are also available) are all media platforms that were used increasingly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic when churches were unable to meet in person. Trying to deliver services in ways that were helpful and visually stimulating led many churches to adapt their spaces and often a lot of money was spent on things like cameras and recording equipment. Small studios started sprouting up and some churches even began training ministries for those wanting to learn how to better film services. For building projects in the future this recent experience will mean that one test will be to ensure that new building works optimises the potential to provide space that is as flexible as possible. Up to date wiring and sufficient infrastructure to support Wifi and power demand will also be key elements together with finding the in-house people with the skills to both help in the design and build phases as well as manage the proper use of the facilities down the line. What is certain is that buildings, whilst fixed as structures, will increasingly need to “live”, “adapt” and “flex” so that as many uses as possible can take place in any one space. The experience of the last two years suggests that church building projects are not about buildings but people. Buildings are for people where they can worship and serve God, feel safe and welcomed, and spaces where they can help to draw people to Jesus through the momentous news of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ either through meeting in person or through the medium of an on-screen presence. Our prayer is that these articles have been of use and encouragement to you and have hopefully stimulated new thoughts and ideas. If you have any questions or have a building project which you are considering do get in touch. We would love to be able to help you either ourselves or by pointing you in the direction of someone or some service you need. Please do get in touch. 36

Index

Advance Payment – R Building Insurance – R Christmas – C Dial before you dig – U Financial viability of contractor – E Fly-throughs – V Hazards – N Health and Safety – O Infrastructure - Z Liquidated Damages – R Listening – L Money – K, M Photographs – H Planning permission – P Project Manager – I,J Project Planning – P Reliability – R Renovation – Y Responding to problems – F Road closure order – A Running a building project – B Safeguarding – N Site meetings – B Space and light – X Specifying – Q Streetworks search – U Traffic – T Training – T Videos – H Welcome – A

April 2022