Building a church is more than just designing and building a beautiful worship facility, it’s about reaching people, changing lives, strengthening families and impacting communities while building God’s kingdom. On Tuesday, April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Building God’s Way (BGW) and their Southern California exclusive partner-builder Erickson-Hall Construction Co. (EHCC) are sponsoring an open house, tour and free luncheon at Mission Hills Church in San Marcos. All Pastors, Church Planters and Ministry Leaders are cordially invited to attend to learn how to grow, fund and build their ministry vision.
“Our Ministry of Construction philosophy,” says Daniel W. Cook, AIA, NCARB, founder of BGW, “will empower you for outreach and community building during the process. BGW Services has been impacting Christian communities nationwide since 1998, challenging ministry leaders to lead by vision, to increase ministry and to build stronger relationships. We’re dedicated to the expansion of ministry through growth strategies and funding solutions – leading to the construction of new facilities for churches, Christian schools/colleges and ministry organizations.”
Despite what you may think, remodeling your existing structure or building a new church facility from the ground up does not have to be painful or excessive in cost. With a little research, assistance from experienced professionals, prayer and God’s timing, your ministry vision can become a reality.
In the church building marketplace, Design-Build and Design-Assist are the primary delivery methods that have been used successfully for years. There are significant advantages to these two delivery methods, yet their basic differences make Design-Assist (a construction delivery method derived from a holistic team approach where all decisions are made collaboratively with the owner, architect and builder from the start) a much more attractive building delivery method to church building committees.
As a leader in Southern California church construction, EHCC has leveraged the tremendous benefits of the Design-Assist delivery method by partnering with BGW. The result of this partnership is a premier design and construction program created to assist in the process of turning Southern California ministry visions into a reality.
BGW has leadership teams that are knowledgeable and experienced to bring excellence and good stewardship to ministry organizations. These teams work through an integrated approach, creating seamless solutions to streamline the process. The architectural team, builder and owner work together (Design-Assist Method) in what BGW calls the Trinity Partnership that starts with the vision from God. The results of this team approach are consistent high quality, timely delivery, Godly relationships and reduced costs on construction, operation and maintenance.
A recent successful Design-Assist project that was completed last year by EHCC and BGW is the 25,000-sq.ft., New Hope Community Church. It is set amidst San Diego County’s Otay Open Space Preserve on a nine-acre site in East Chula Vista. This elegant worship center captures the elegance and comfort of a Craftsman Commercial architectural style and fits well into the surrounding community. It serves as an oasis for new believers and seasoned veterans of the faith seeking tranquility and solitude among a truly remarkable setting with its spacious 5,712 SF auditorium with full stage sound and lighting system and seating for approximately 900 individuals. The auditorium converts into two volleyball courts or one full basketball court. The clerestory windows provides natural light while the bell tower, metal roofing, stucco and stone trim add impressive architectural prominence to this facility. The grounds feature manicured walkways and tinkling fountains, all complemented by commanding 360 degrees of breathtaking scenic views.
Owner Representative of New Hope Community Church, David Digiambattista, struggled to take the first step in constructing the new facility until he met with a team of confident liaisons at BGW. David quickly learned the complexity of any project requires experienced key players and teamwork to be implemented effectively.
“We started off utilizing a less effective [low-bid] process, but after a more in-depth evaluation of the scope of the work [with BGW] and collaborating with EHCC, we switched over to their Design-Assist approach.” says David Digiambattista. “Utilizing the Design-Assist delivery method, we were able to make the important budget design decisions with the confidence that all our members would have access to the complete cost accounting for the project.”
“Building materials, technologies, and construction techniques continue to change and become more complex, often leaving the tradespersons the keepers of information.” says Dave Erickson, CEO of EHCC and Project Executive of the New Hope Community Church project. “As a result, the construction industry has many experts and consultants to help owners and architects transcend the intricacies of building into familiar territories. Other delivery methods can repeat steps and produce inefficiencies that can (and often do) lead to cost overruns and time delays. The Design-Assist delivery method can be a more streamlined and a more effective way of addressing unique requirements when a project requires a high level of expertise and coordination.”
Attendance at New Hope Community Church has increased over 50% to more than 600 people since the new building was completed. As a result, New Hope has added a variety of new programs, including: ballroom dancing, ballet, hip hop, drawing, martial arts, yoga, preschool classes, cheer camp, tutoring and more.
If you would like to learn more about Design-Assist delivery method or where to start when it comes to building your church, Erickson-Hall Construction and BGW are co-hosting a FREE showcase/open house luncheon at Mission Hills Church in San Marcos on April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please contact Sara Leposke, Director of Client Relations at EHCC, at (760) 796-7700 or sleposke@ericksonhall.com. Please join us to learn how this unique process can impact your church and community while growing God’s Kingdom. Seating is limited. Pre-registration is required, call today.