Tag Archive - Richard Chancy
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Church Construction – How Long Does It Take…Really!

May 5, 2011 in Church Construction with 1 Comment

How long does it really take to Design and Build a church?  Longer than most people think or plan for. It’s important to have realistic expectations so the vision for the project can be cast well for the entire congregation.  The image here gives you a good idea of what each stage of the process.

Obviously there are variables that can affect the length of time for each of these stages.  Be careful about being to optimistic with shortening the time frames.  Its better to have a hopeful expectation and a conservative plan because, in church construction, speed can kill.

 

Use this as a guide to set expectations well with your team and your congregation.  As always give me a shout if you have any questions.

Richard Chancy

Cogun Inc

706.830,3782

rwchanc@cogun.com


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5 Things Great Lay Leaders Do

May 3, 2011 in Church Construction, Leadership with 6 Comments

I recently began working with a church who has incredible lay leadership.  As I’ve gotten to know them I’ve learned a few things about lay leaders and the culture every church wants to create.  Here are 5 things great lay leaders do.  Leadership Within Corporate Culture

1 Support Publicly

Great Lay Leaders (GLLs) support the vision of the church.  Actually they do more than that. (yes I did just disagree with myself, happens all the time)  They become the vision of the church.  In most churches that means investing in people and inviting them to come be part of the church while helping their faith grow.

2 Challenge Personally

I know the saying is “support publicly and challenge privately” which is a great moto, but GLLs take that one step farther, they challenge the staff on a personal level.  They want to make sure you’re “smokin what you’re sellin”.    They hold you to a higher standard of living so you can lead by example.  They dare you to move forward and stand by you every step.

3 Lead From Competency

GLL’s know when to lead and when to follow.  They don’t just have an area of expertise that is beneficial to the church, they know when to use it and offer it gladly. They get that we are first “followers” of Christ.

4 Take Ownership

GLLs don’t veiw service as “helping you out”, they truly own the vision of the church.  They support it with their time, with their skill and with the Benjamins.   They are submitted to the ministry the way Christ commanded.

5 Influence Influencers

Influencers influence other influencers.  John Maxwell’s Law of Multiplication says “if you want to add growth lead followers….if you want to multiply, lead leaders”.  GLLs know a leader when they see one.  They show them where to go, what to do and they lend their influence to grow them to grow the influence of other leaders.

Every organization has a heart that is made up of the passion the people have for what they do.  If you sell ice cream for a living you should have people that are excited and engaged about creating and incredible enviornment for people to experience.  If you’re selling something a little more important, like the value of a relationship with Jesus, the heart of your church should have a ”WE’RE FIRED UP!!” tatooed on it.  

The Church I’m working with has a pastor that is obviously excited about Jesus and that’s were it starts.   If you’re fired up, sooner or later …..your lay leaders will be too.

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Church Construction – When should you build?

May 2, 2011 in Church Construction, Leadership, Money with 0 Comments

How do you know when its time for your church to build?  Here are four things to think about when you’re thinking about building.

1. Finances – obviously money matters when you’re building a new facility.  Here is blog I wrote specifically on Church Construction and Money.

2. Max Facility Use - Do you have a document that outlines how your facility is currently being used for ministry?  The least expensive ministry space you’ll ever have is what you have right now.  Before you think about building or renovating a thing, you want to make sure you’ve thought through every square foot of the current facility.  How many services are you in right now?  Could you add another one?  Could you do a video venue?   My church uses the same space on Sunday Mornings for middle school and Sunday afternoon for high school.  Do you really need all that Sunday school space or could it be repurposed for a more effective use?  (Touchy subject I know)

3. R U Ready? – This is the one thing most pastors I work with fail to realize.  This process will take more of your energy than you think.  It will take more of your time than you think.  It takes longer than you think and it will require you to spend more of your influence than you think.

Being ready means  you’ve got your hands wrapped tightly around the vision God has given you, hold on to it.   You’ll constantly need that vision to recenter you when the difficulty arises.   It means you don’t have secrets.  (I trust you know what I’m talking about).  Secrets often find a way not to be so secretive when you are trying to make a big impact for the kingdom.  Being ready means you’ve weighed the cost and you are personally ready to pay it.

IF THE LEADER ISN’T READY….THE CHURCH ISN’T READY!

4.  The “Great Deal” -  Stumbling on great deal for land, or a building does not mean it’s time for you church to build.  I met with a church a couple years back that bought 11 acres for their church because the price had dropped so much. Now they are trying to sell 11 acres in a down market because they realized, because of location, they would benefit more by renovating a building than from building a new one.  ’There is a difference between a “great deal” and a “great deal for your church”.

Facilities must move you in the direction of the vision.

 

So, are you ready?

 

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The Principle of The Path – Andy Stanley

April 19, 2011 in Leadership, Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I’ve just been listening to The Principle of The Path by Andy Stanley again and I thought I’d share with you the key principle in the book.  See my diagram here.

Our attention determines our direction, and our direction determines our destination.

Obvious stuff right? So tell me about your destination. Where are you heading? Where do you want your marriage to end up? How about your relationship with your kids? Or your church? Do you have a specific vision for the most important things in your life? Or are you on a different path?

If I really know where I’m heading shouldn’t the answer to those questions be very clear to me? When they don’t, chances are, I’m already pretty far down the wrong path.

What relationships do you need to have to get there? Who pushes you forward! Who moves you back? Who has the potential to destroy your dreams? (think about this one for a second)

What are you putting into your mind? What are you putting into your body? When was the last time you heard God’s voice?

What’s step # 1 for getting on the right path?

Is your destination driving your direction or is your direction driving you somewhere you don’t want to go?

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Can Walmart Be A Worship Experience?

April 12, 2011 in Uncategorized with 7 Comments

God is in the redemption business, and business is good.  Very soon Athens Church will have their grand opening in a building formerly known as Wal-Mart. 

A little over a year ago Sean Seay and the team at Athens Church (A Strategic partner of North Point Community Church with Video teaching from Andy Stanley) decided to redeem this building by remodeling 47,000 square feet of prime real estate to impact their city for Jesus.   In less than 6 months it’s already beginning to feel like redemption.  What do you think?

  

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE “BEFORE AND DURING SHOTS”


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Andy Stanley – Life App #4 – Trust

April 11, 2011 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment

These are my notes from Andy Stanley’s Life Apps series and this is message #4.   I thought this might be especially useful for churches preparing to move into a season of church construction.  If you don’t read anything else here skip to the bottom and read the 5 commitments North Point Community Church asks their team to make.   
 
This is Life App 4 – Trust -  Application makes all the difference.
 
How many of you have bought fitness equipment?  How many of you have read all or part of diet book?  
Buying stuff makes us feel like we’re making progress.  
 
In the spiritual realm we have the same thing when we come to church.  
We leave a worship experience and we feel like we’ve made progress…..but we’ve deceived ourselves.  We’re wrong.  
 
‘When our obedience intersects with Gods faithfulness, our faith grows.”
 

Life App Trust

The health and quality of your relationships depends on you ability to trust.  A big part of that is who you are, and what experiences you are bringing into every relationship you have.
 
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   Love doesn’t try to catch people doing the wrong thing but tries to catch them doing the right thing.”
  
Love…It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 
I’m going to do everything possible to protect.  I’m going to trust even when it doesn’t make sense.  I’m going to hope all things and endure all things.
Love, real love……bends.  It’s flexible and not rigid.  It bends, It bends, It bends.  Love gives them the benefit of the doubt.  Love looks for the most generous explanation for the other persons behavior.
 
Love chooses trust over suspicion.  We all have expectations and experiences and there is often a gap between expectations and experiences.  We decide what to put in this gap.  We can believe the best, or assume the worst.
 
The other persons behavior does not determine what you put in the gap.  You decide what you put on the gap.  You choose choose, because love bends,  it trusts , it protects
In healthy relationships, both parties go to ridiculous lengths to believe the best.  There is nothing gained by assuming the worst.  Things don’t get better when people understand that you don’t trust them.  Suspicion is an expression of rejection
 
Our hearts move towards acceptance and away from rejection.  That’s why assuming the worst is never a win.  Even when you have the facts to back it up.  Love endures all things, it protects all things….LOVE BENDS.   Once you begin to express suspicion the door on that relationship begins to close.   Do everything you can to trust.  The other person doesn’t force you to put something in that gap.  You choose.
 
When you can’t choose to trust, you must choose to confront.  
Instead of stewing on it we must confront. But we don’t.  We call our sister, (mother, brother, friend) and we talk about the gap and we get mad, and madder, and madder.  
When you just can’t believe any more, and you just can’t trust, you don’t fill it with suspicion you ask a question.  You have to ask for help from the person where there is a gap.  Confronting is asking for an explanation and assuming there is a good one.  You assume there is a really good explanation and you need to hear it and move on.
Being non-confrontational is not and excuse.  90% of people are non-confrontational.  Who really wants to be confronted by someone who is confrontational anyway. 
The longer you wait the worse the gap becomes and when you finally decide to confront it’s like a guiatine, and the relationship is over.
You say “I want to believe the best so I don’t want to wonder.”  By confronting you are keeping the door of the relationship open.  LOVE BENDS.  It always tries to protect and trust and when it just can’t anymore you confront.
 
5 commitments we ask our staff to make at North Point
 
1. When ther is a gap  I will believe the best.
 
2. When others assume the worst about you, I’m going to come to your defense.
 
3. If what I experience begins to erode my trust I’m coming directly to you. (The shortest route to relationship is to continue to communicate ” I want to trust you”.  The shortest way to determine who is untrustworthy is to trust them.  The shortest way to make someone untrustworthy is to fill the gap with suspicion.)
 
4. When I’m not going to be able to keep a promise I’m going to let u know ahead of time.
 
5. When you confront me about gaps I’ve created I’m going to tell you the truth.
 
Don’t you want people to believe the best about you?
 
Here are a couple places for you to start.
Ask yourself:
1. Do I have a hard time trusting people?  Get somewhere alone and assay out loud “I have a hard time trusting people”. You may be part of the problem.  Saying out loud may be a revelation for you
2. Who is it you have a hard time trusting.  You just can’t believe the best about them.  What would it look like in that relationship to bend.  It might throw the doors wide open.  
What could you do to break a cycle of a lack of trust.
 
LOVE BENDS and it’s the foundation of all great relationships.  
Are you willing to do what the Apostle Paul said to do and BEND.
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3 Things To Know About Church Construction Budgets

April 7, 2011 in Leadership, Uncategorized with 1 Comment

One of the first things we accomplish when we take on a new client is to nail down just how much the church can afford.  Understanding Affordability is the Critical Success Factor in any church construction project.  One of the biggest communication miss-steps is when the church says they have $3,000,000 to spend and then they begin to design a $3,000,000 building. 

DOWNLOAD THIS FIRST  New Construction Sample Budget

Today I’m going to walk you through 3 budgets you need to be concerned with during construction

  1. Construction Budget – Just like it sounds the construction budget is everything involved in the physical construction of the building.  That sounds simple and it can be.  If you’ve ever heard the phrase “good fences make good neighbors” you get the sense of how important it is to determine exactly what the builder is planning to be responsible for.  Because if they aren’t responsible for it guess what….you are.  You need to ask a million questions and make sure that both you, and the builder understand who is responsible for what items.  When they reply, if you have gaps in your understanding, ask another question.  (For more on this technique talk to a 7 year old girl and try to explain to her why she can watch Hanna Montana like everyone else, when she starts asking questions you’ll get a good feel for how you should be with your builder)

 CLARITY = GREAT RELATIONSHIP

  1. Soft Cost Budget – The Soft Cost Budget is everything related to the project that isn’t covered under the Construction Budget.  Things Audio, Visual, Lighting, Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment.  Permits, preparing the site may or may not be covered in the construction cost.   You can see from the included picture that there are quite a few items that fall into this category.  Usually between 25% and 40% of the cost is related to the Soft Cost Budget.    That means in a $3,000,000 budget $750,000 to $1,200,000 will be Soft Costs. 

 Can you see why it’s important to make sure you let the budget drive the project? 

  1. Total Construction Budget – When a church tells me they have $3,000,000 for construction, this is usually the number they’re talking about.  Most churches think in “soup to nuts” terms when it comes to money.  Like I wrote at the top, it is incredibly important to determine just what the Total Construction Budget is as early in the process as possible so it can be used to make every decision that adds or takes away cost from the project. 

 I like to manage these three budgets as independent parts of the whole.  When a church decides to add $50,000 to their audio budget I want them to have to make a decision about where it comes from in another part of the budget.  Does it come out of the furniture budget or are we giving up square footage for it?  This is exactly how we manage our personal budgets right?  We don’t spend money and then go and ask to have our budget increased.  We try to get as much as we can for what we have.

If you have any questions about putting your budget together shoot me an email at rwchancy@cogun.com.  I’d love to help!

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7 Ways Smart Churches Are Using Social Media

April 6, 2011 in Leadership, Uncategorized with 4 Comments

What is your church doing to leverage Social Media?  Here are just a few things to think about as you move into the age of technological evangelism.

  1. Podcasts – If you don’t do anything else here, do this!  Podcasts are too easy for people to share with their friends.
  2. Blogging – Here’s how Athens Church (A North Point Strategic Partner) is using their blog to keep their congregation up to date on our renovation project.  Click Here and make sure you scroll down to see the pics.  Feel free to vote for the T-Shirt as well.  
  3. Vlogging – (Video Blogging) If people see that you’re a real person they’re more likely to connect with you.  Click Here to see my latest. 
  4. Twitter – 7% of Americans are on Twitter (the real influencers like you and I).   This is an easy way for you to add value to people every day.  If you do it well people will feel more connected to you.   FYI –Tweet stuff that matters. 
  5. Facebook – 42.3% of Americans are on Facebook.   4 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH ARE ON FACEBOOK.    Somebody needs to be on this at your church.   Click Here to like my Facebook Fan Page.  (Keep in mind I have acceptance issues if you decide not to “like” me) 
  6. Youtube – My church (North Point Community Church) does this well.  Click Here to see what I’m talking about.   See how easy that is to share?
  7. Be Human – Our biggest challenge in reaching the “lost” is to stop thinking of them as lost people and start thinking of them as “my neighbor Todd”.   Using technology to bridge the gap between the people who love Jesus and “Todd” is THE most effective use of social media.

 

How is your church using social media to reach people?   Even if you never comment on blogs, don’t be stingy with your ideas.  Share the love Man!!!  If you’d rather send an email and have me post it, you can get me at rwchancy@cogun.com

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Andy Stanley On Confession

April 5, 2011 in Leadership, Uncategorized with 2 Comments

 These are my notes from 3.27.11 at North Point Community Church.  Andy Stanley and Jeff Henderson are in 6 part series call Life Apps.  With so much pressure against us is so easy to fail morally.  Confession is the key to prevention.  So here are my notes.

James 1:22 (NIV)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Application is everything.  Listening is nothing.  Doing is everything.

 Life app 1 is forgiveness

Forgiven people forgive people.  who can hold us accountable

 Life app 2 is Confession

In every religious system there is some sort of ploy where we try to outsmart God.  But trying to outsmart God IS A SIN.

 Somewhere along the way we began to believe that confession was about relieving our guilt.  Emptying out sin bucket.  Genuine confession serves as a first step towards repentance and reconciliation.  Change is the ultimate goal of confession.

 Genuine confession leads to genuine change.  Confessing our sin to God is almost always attached to confessing our sin to those we’ve offended and to those who can hold us accountable.

 Numbers 5:6-7 (NIV)

“Say to the Israelites: `When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord, that person is guilty [7] and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged.

In the Old Testament confession was attached to restitution

 Luke 19:8-9 (NIV)

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” [9] Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”

Genuine confession leads to genuine change.

 James 5:16 (NIV)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

 Genuine confession leads to genuine change.  Let the light of God’s truth shine in.  Secrets are like splinters, the longer it’s in there the more it hurts.  The best thing to do is get it out.  If you have a secret sin an you’re in the habit of saying to God I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry, there is a word for that.  Hypocrite.  If you have a routine worked out with God and you continue to sin confess sin confess YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE.

 Genuine confession leads to genuine change.

 If you think “I got a thing worked out but I’m not going to change.  I’m not ready to change.”  ATLEAST PRAY HONEST PRAYERS

Pray honestly and tell God you’re going to keep on doing what you’re doing.  Be honest without yourself and be honest with God.  Admitting things to God that he already knows is worthless.  Just tell him you aren’t willing to quit.

 If You’re Ready

 If you are ready you just tell the person you’ve hurt, and maybe someone you know who can help you defeat it the sin and hold you accountable.

There are sin habits you can’t break by telling God about it.  The genuine change comes when you open you’re soul and confess.

 We fear the consequences of confession more than we fear the consequences of concealment.

 Ultimately the consequences of concealment are far worse than the consequence of confession.

 At the end of the day Genuine confession leads to genuine change.

 What do you need to tell and who do you need to tell it to?

Click Here to Download the message from Andy Stanley on Confession.  Or click play below to listen to it here.

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10 Reasons Building A Church Isn’t Like Buying a Car

April 4, 2011 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment

10 reasons building a church isn’t like buying a car or anything else for that matter.

  1. A car can make you cool.  Church made Steven Furtick cool, but not Perry Noble, so you can’t always count on church to make you cool.
  2. Churches gets better gas mileage – they’re wind powered.
  3. All cars play traditional and contemporary music.

  4. Cars change regularly to attract new people.
  5. Cars don’t wish they were other cars and talk about why the other cars are so popular because they aren’t true to the manufacturer. (Gotta think on this one)
  6. Cars don’t believe in Hell, some churches do. (Sorry Rob, that was a cheap shot)
  7. We buy cars to get us somewhere.  When we get to church…we think we’re already there.
  8. Your ministry can survive if you spend too much on a car...
  9. There’s no base model church - you don’t come in and pick the red one and have us throw in some spinners.
  10. While driving too fast can make you see Jesus, He doesn’t use cars to get people into heaven.

Here is where the analogy breaks down.

If you decide to by a corvette, and you go to four different dealers and get prices and the lowest price for the same awesomeness is $65,000, do you buy it?

It depends right?  It depends on what you can afford.

Too many people are getting awesome deals on cars they can’t afford.  Affordability IS the dealmaker.  (I’m thinking about getting a forehead tattoo with that on it).   “Understand what you can afford and then go out and make the deal with someone you can trust.” (Sidebar – did you know when you trade a car in; the sales guy gets paid a percentage of the difference between the real value of what you car is worth and what he can get you to take for it?  If you trade them in, have the KBB value printed and in you hand)

Back to affordability

There’s a lot of work that determines what you can “really” afford to spend on a car.  If you’re building a church, that process is magnified.  You have to know how much cash you can raise, what the bank will loan, what the payments on the debt will be to make sure you construction budget doesn’t have an affair with your operating budget and run away with her.

How will inflation affect you affordability?  Are there major, one time, expenses coming your way that will impact operating income and limit your borrowing?

Are you scared yet?  Good….fear is good for making you think before you act.  Heading into a car dealership, or a church expansion project without a grasp of affordability is like rolling the dice at the craps table, you may win from time to time, but when you lose it’s really gonna bite. (not a great analogy for a pastor but it’s better than the one I was working on about planning for the spirit to move instead of preparing a sermon)

If you church is growing fast, sooner or later you have to build or renovate.  Have a plan, get the right people around you from the start before you spend a dime.

If I can help I’d love to be part of the journey with you. I’m passionate about serving churches and would love an opportunity to talk with you about joining you staff to walk you through the process of clarifying exactly what you need and balancing it with what you can afford so you can CRUSH IT FOR JESUS in your city.

Email me and lets set up a time to get to know each other over the phone.

rwchancy@cogun.com

706.830.3782

 

 

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