2008 Pastors Exec. Forum
The 'A to Z' on How to Design & Build Your Church
check out the attendee's notebook
Tuesday, April 29, 9:00 am-4:30 pm, 2008
Indianapolis, Indiana
Co-produced by XPastor and WFX
Event Chair: Dr. David Fletcher
Dr. David Fletcher; Executive Pastor, Grace Covenant Church, Austin, Texas, and founder of XPastor.org. Dr. Fletcher is a skilled networker who brings together the right church leaders to speak on topic. By using stories and case studies of current churches, you'll learn by idea and practice!
This new executive training session for Senior and Executive Pastors will provide top-level church leadership with concepts and strategies to successfully lead their church through the facilities growth process. Co-produced by XPastor.org, this exclusive day-long session features case study presentations as well as small and large-group discussions, and is a must-attend event for pastors of growing churches.
Walk Away Knowing
- How to build according to your church's spiritual DNA
- The steps and language of how to share your church's spiritual DNA with your architect
- How to design your "dream" church within the constraints of your budget
- How to better talk the language of architects, bankers and contractors
- How to better fund your new building project
- and much more
Consider if just one idea from the day saves you $10,000 or $100,000 or $1,000,000. What if you are about to build on the "wrong" spot on your property? Do you gel with your architect?
Presenters
- Dr. David Fletcher, Founder & Host of XPastor, XP in Austin, Texas
- John Jackson, Architect, Jackson Galloway, Austin, Texas
- Brad Leeper, Generis, Altanta, Georgia
- Paul Sewell, Executive Pastor, Oak Hill Baptist Church, Griffin, Georgia
- Mark Bankord, Directional Leader and CEO of Heartland Community Church, Rockford, Illinois
- Mike Boblit of ECCU
Sign-up for this WFX special feature during the WFX registration process. Sign-up early and save! The Pastors Executive Forum registration includes lunch, handouts, and a full day of learning with and from your peers.
XPastor events are led by current church leaders. Pastors talking to pastors! The context of the discussion is always centered on the local church and how churches are doing and improving ministry
Forum Topics
Spiritual DNA:
Spiritual Leadership for a New Building
Spiritual DNA: putting in print the unique factors of your church. The Great Commandment and Great Commission are universal drives for churches, but what is unique to your church?
If you don’t know your spiritual DNA, then you will “build the wrong building!” And if you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will do! We'll explore the following important considerations: style of worship — classic, traditional, blended, contemporary, ultra-contemporary; ancient/future motifs in your church; how formal is your congregation; role of existing and future technology; multiple uses of the room or space; knowing your congregation and how building materials will help or hinder your worship experience. These have huge building implications!
Designing the Dream:
Interaction with the Architect
Pick “any” architect and you will get “any” building! Is this what you really want? In this part of the program, you will learn the 5 top questions for selecting your architect and some of the key terms in an “architect’s language” that will help you express your dreams. How can you select the best architect and how can you interview the architect? At the Pastor's Executive Forum, you'll have the opportunity to talk to a church that is in the middle of the design to construction process. Architect John Jackson of Jackson Galloway, Austin, Texas, will give a pivotal presentation and be available to talk with you during the day!
Lunch Interview & Open Discussion
When XPastor.org is involved, lunch times are always vital sessions! Our lunch will interview Brad Leeper and Mark Bankord. We always talk with experienced strategists, pastors and other leaders about how to raise funds and build your project. Bring you questions as it will be interactive.
Funding the Dream:
Working with Bankers and Fundraisers
For many, this is the biggest challenge. How can I get the right help? What are my options in “doing it myself or getting a professional to assist us?”
We will explore the key components to a successful financial campaign and answer your most pressing questions. In raising money, how much is enough, not enough and too much? What if God brings in more than we asked for? Less than we asked for? What are some principles about borrowing and the role of debt? Talk to two churches that have recently funded their dream.
Building the Dream:
Working with a Contractor
Do we need an “owner’s representative” to work with the contractor? Learn how to define the role of church staff in working with the contractor and list the options that are readily available. What about the contract and possible cost-overruns. How long will it really take to build? Talk to a church that has recently finished their building!
Funding & Building the Dream
Oak Hill Church has recently finished construction of a new worship center. Paul Sewell is their Executive Pastor and had a team of people helping him to oversee the construction. Paul will share his experience of negotiating the loan with several banks, selecting the right bank and then working with the contractor. Pual will have key members of his team share about their role in the project. Paul will be available in the morning to discuss issues about your church.
Building Outside the Box: Lunch Discussion
Mark Bankord from Heartland Community Church will be a special guest at lunch. Mark is the Directional Leader of the church, where they recently followed an unique path to Mark is the Directional Leader of the church, "where they recently followed a unique path to renovate their facility and repurchase their previous space." You can read about Mark on the cover of the April 2008 ChurchExecutive magazine: "We rented the auditorium at the school of medicine in Rockford, which seats around 400. Our first service had 118 people attend. We did everything you would expect in a church except that the message was on videotape. The next week we had 220. Over the next eight weeks we went from that original 118 people to more than 750 people. People would be transformed and they would tell their friends. It’s been happening like that for 10 years now. In 2006 we bought a 350,000-square- foot shopping mall and about half of it now is the church. These days there are about 6,000 people coming on weekends."
How to Fund the Dream, a discusison with Brad Leeper
Brad is well-known in XPastor circles, having been at all four of the XP-Seminars and helping hundreds of folks in his XPastor seminars and talks. He brings a fresh insight in to how to fund the dream. Brad speaks to a wide variety of churches and perspectives. For many, this is the scariest part of the building process, but Brad shows how to make the capital campaign into a spiritualy moving event for your church.
Schedule
9:00 |
Welcome & Introductions |
9:15 |
Spiritual DNA: Spiritual Leadership for a New Building—David Fletcher |
9:45 |
Small Group Discussion: Do you know your spiritual DNA? How would you define your church’s vision? Conceptualize your building around your spiritual DNA. Create a list of the “Top 5 Markers of our Spiritual DNA. |
10:00 |
Large Group Discussion |
10:15 |
Break |
10:30 |
Designing the Dream—John Jackson |
11:15 |
Small Group Discussion—Does your building reflect your past, current or future spiritual DNA? How would your design look when you have defined your spiritual DNA? List your top 5 questions/issues for your architect. |
11:45 |
Large Group Discussion |
Noon |
Lunch Discussions Mark Bankord, Directional Leader of Heartland Community Church, A Unique Building: "In 2006 we bought a 350,000-square foot shopping mall and about half of it now is the church. These days there are about 6,000 people coming on weekends." Mike Boblit of ECCU will also join us for this discussion. |
1:15 |
Break |
1:30 |
Funding the Dream—Paul Sewell |
2:15 |
Small Group Discussion—How are you going to fund your dream? Who can you get to help with the capital campaign? Will it be solely home brew or will you use and outside expert? How will you utilize your banking relationship to fund your building? |
2:30 |
Large Group Discussion |
2:45 |
Break |
3:00 |
Moving into the Dream—Paul Sewell |
3:15 |
Small Group Discussion: What issues will arise as you move into your new building? |
3:45 |
Large Group Discussion |
4:00 |
Conclusion |
Sponsored by ...
Thanks to our friends at the Evangelical Christian Credit Union for being a sponsor. The Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU) is a trusted banking resource that shares your passion for kingdom impact. With ECCU's wisdom gained from more than 40 years of experience serving evangelical ministries, we are helping churches in all 50 states increase their effectiveness through biblically based banking, financing, and investing services.
Thanks to our friends at Generis Partners, www.generis.com, for being a sponsor. Generis says: “True giving is a deeply transformative act. At Generis, we believe it’s less about raising capital and more about raising the spiritual consciousness of people. It’s about meeting churches where they are and helping them achieve their own true vision according to their unique culture. Whether that entails a video venue, multi-campus site, or raising a daunting amount of capital, Generis consultants are ready to share the Leadership’s risk—because they understand it. Brad Leeper and his counterpart, Gerald Farley, have both served in church leadership roles and have real-life experiences to offer far beyond that of most industry consultants.”
Comments from 2007
Things I loved, that connected with me
- All segments were very good
- Excellent case studies
- Good breadth of presenters
- Small group discussions/table discussions/ Small group talk
- Learning about team approach
- Small groups at the table
- Presentation by Oak Hill/real life case studies/ Grace Covenant model
- Very good information was presented
- More than I expected (very happy with that)
- Selecting an architect
- Biblical approach to building
- A balanced presentation of pros/cons of financing strategies
- A thorough presentation on building issues
- Panel discussion
- Spiritual DNA discussion
- Various speakers
- The working relationship of design it/build it/own it
- Everything!
- Personal time with Bob/Mark
- Confirmation of process we have engaged in
- Celebration of “milestones”
- The whole concept!
- Good communicators
- Morning was excellent, especially DNA talk
- Good interviews
- Great food
- Good insights for moving in
- Personal interaction with presenters—individually, small group, large group
- Cohesiveness of components
- Diversity of viewpoints
- Peer group forum
- Very informative—gave me much to think about!
- Having the resources available on website was a great idea
- Personal interaction with speakers was valuable
- Meeting the pastors at the tables provided great discussion
- Good Q&A time throughout. We learned new things
- The financial pros and cons
- The architectural side of planning
- “Moving Into Your New Facility” was a real eye opener.
- Practical guidelines for architects
- Opportunities to network
- Panel discussion with lender, consultant, XP
- Great expert forum—very informative
- Appropriate details with applicable information
- Very well facilitated—on schedule and point
- Spiritual DNA – This is what we need to define/clarify
- Process of developing construction team
- Great overview of key aspects of the overall process
- The speakers were excellent and accessible
- I enjoyed the input and sharing at my table
Things I would like to change
- How do we lose the “Best Kept Secret” in town?
- I’d like to hear from a smaller church, 800 or under
- Time to discuss with my team
- Break during lunch with no speaker or anything—to mingle with those attending conference
- List of “best things we did” or “things you need to avoid.”
- More discussion on deciding between project manager and architect and general contractor
- Only that this component needs to be on a different day than the other WFX Seminars
- Evening session or dinner/mixer for continued individual contact
- What works best and what doesn’t in a building
- Add information on tangible cost planning
Other Comments
- (about David) Very personable; appreciate your coming up before things began and introducing yourself. Thanks for sharing the stage with others.
- Thanks for having this special Executive Pastors Forum. It went fast with all the variety—really enjoyed it. Very beneficial
- Looking forward to looking at the XPastor website
- Thanks so much. Looking forward to seeing you in February ’08 at the XP-Seminar.
- Since we are in the building process, I was looking for practical information. The conference did a good job providing that kind of information.
- Thanks, David! You are incredible at this. You are building the Kingdom by investing is us so much.
- Your professionalism and preparation was very appreciated. Please feel free to contact the Austin Stone team in the future. We definitely plan on using the information gleaned during these sessions.
- Overall, very helpful.
- It was a good day. I enjoyed the interaction with others and hearing about their experiences. There are several nuggets that I got from the presenters.
- I really appreciated the comments that David made concerning his desire to have more African American churches involved in WFX.
