The General Building Committee (GBC) is a selected group of church members who are entrusted with the church facility planning. Their involvement begins from the initial design inception and lasts through the construction process. This selected group will act and respond during each phase of the building program. They will constantly gather information from the church congregation and, with the aid of the Architect, organize these ideas into what will become the final constructed facility. The final goal being a facility that embraces the church's ministry objectives, thus creating a tool for God's work.
The GBC consists of a chairman and approximately five to seven members. The chairman's responsibility, along with chairing the committee meetings, is to be in direct contact with the Architect throughout the design and construction process.
Recommendation: It is recommended that a non-committee member be present and record the minutes of each meeting for committee review and approval. These meeting minutes can then be revised in a newsletter format for general congregational review.
Reminder: It is a good idea to keep the rest of the church informed as to the progress of the project.
The Architect encourages congregational input and, through a systematic communication flow from the interested church member to the building committee, the Architect is able to obtain information necessary for the proper planning of the new or remodeled facility. Therefore, in order that congregation input is obtained and all church members are able to participate (in some form or another) in the planning process, sub-committees are formed.
Each Building Sub-committee specializes in a particular area of concern and gathers and organizes information of that specialty. Each sub-committee is chaired by a member on the General Building Committee so any input gathered during the Sub-committee meetings can be addressed during the General Committee meeting. This allows for congregation input in a systematic and organized manner. The Architect will be present at scheduled building committee meetings and, if desired, will meet with the building sub-committees.
The Committee member qualifications should include, but not be limited to, the following:
1. Be dedicated to the church
and its ministry
2. Be a leader
3. Be open to change
4. Be willing to invest time and energy
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