Reviews
WHEN NOT TO BUILD: An Architect's Unconventional Wisdom for the Growing Church
by Ray Bowman and Eddy Hall
YOUR CHURCH, November/December 1992, upon awarding When Not to Build the magazine's 1992 Recommended Resources Award.
An architect telling you not to build? You've got to read this one!
Main thesis: Actually, Bowman isn't opposed to building per se; he just wants churches to be sure they actually need to build and that they construct facilities that will serve the kingdom best.
Bowman...pierces conventional wisdom he once espoused, such as: "A new building will attract new people to the church." He confesses, "Much of this conventional wisdom encouraged churches to build too bog, build too soon, or build the wrong kind of building."
Favorite chapter: "Three Things Church Buildings Can Never Do." The three things: Stimulate growth; improve giving to ministry; motivate people to minister.
BOOKSTORE JOURNAL, April 1993
Bowman's candor is refreshing. After spending most of his life designing church facilities, he took a look back. His retrospect alarmed him as he discovered that, in many instances, effectiveness in serving Christ had decreased when congregations built new buildings. As a result, the author now finds himself advising many churches not to build.
Through this book, Bowman helps church leaders decide whether to build by presenting several principles for consideration. For example, he writes, a church should build only when it can do so within the income God has provided and without using funds needed for the church's present and future ministries.
Second, a church should build only when it can do so without shifting the focus from ministering to people to constructing buildings. It's detrimental when staff and services have to be cut to pay construction costs. Third, a church should build only when it's fully using the space it already occupies. Growing congregations that have built large facilities to combine multiple services into one service often have seen their members leaving to attend smaller churches.
Bowman sees the "business" of the local church as meeting needs and reaching the lost. Unfortunately, too often, new buildings run counter to these objectives. Recommend this valuable book to any church leader campaigning for a bigger, better facility. /p>
MINISTRIES TODAY, May/June 1996
While noting pitfalls to avoid, Bowman also provides much positive information and advice for churches considering new facilities. Congregations will be helped by his common sense approach and his illustrations from the experiences of other churches. He convincingly supports his philosophy that churches need to explore alternatives to building and need to know when not to build.
Bowman's sensitivity to the risks involved in church construction and his concern for the overall well-being of churches make this a uniquely insightful book for congregations more concerned with effective ministry than mere appearances.