Church Building, Church Design, and Church Architecture
This listing is part of the LifeandLeadership.com ministry resources with emphasis on Church Administration. It is part of the site archive, which is not updated. Most of the resources are older, but following the links may lead to other current materials.
- General Guides on Church Building, Church Design, and Church Architecture
- Theology of Church Design and Church Architecture
- Related Resources for Church Leaders
**Ministry resources listed in recommended order, unless alphabetical
General Guides on Church Building, Church Design, and Church Architecture
First reads:
- Nancy Demott, Tim Shapiro, and Brent Bill, Holy Places: Matching Sacred Space With Mission and Message – A thorough, start-to-finish guidebook designed for church building task forces.
- Ray Bowman and Eddy Hall, When Not to Build: An Architect’s Unconventional Wisdom for the Growing Church. Revised and Expanded Edition — Encourages church leaders to refrain from major church building projects until they assess their motivations, space utilization, and financial capability.
Other Helfpul Resources:
- Lance Moore and Daniel Michal, Firm Foundations: An Architect and a Pastor Guide Your Church Construction – A highly recommended volume covering the complete process of a church building program, designed for use by church leaders and all those involved.
- Bill Couchenor, Churches, Before You Build: Successful Strategies for Developing Worship and Ministry Facilities – A brief, thorough, start-to-finish guide for church leaders on the process of building church facilities.
- Roe Messner, and Ruth Ann Messner, Church Growth by Design: A Complete Guide for Planning and Building Churches to God’s Glory — The authors have designed/built over 1,700 church buildings in 47 states. Covers every conceivable area of the church building or renovating process.
- Kennon Callahan, Building for Effective Mission: A Complete Guide for Congregations on Bricks and Mortar Issues — Few resources are as helpful or inspirational in fitting facilities with mission.
Theology of Church Design and Church Architecture
- James F. White and Susan J. White, Church Architecture: Building and Renovating for Christian Worship — Good theologically reflective resource for congregations to conceive of new facilities or evaluate the use of their current facilities.
- James F. White, Protestant Worship and Church Architecture: Theological and Historical Considerations – A readable overview of the theology behind the great historical traditions of church architecture, with observations on how this theology and history may be instructive for the current worship issues faced by churches.
Related Ministry Resources
Related Ministry Resources for Church Leaders:
Other Ministry Resources on Church Administration:
- Church Administration, General Manuals
- Stewardship of Church Money, Church Finance
- Church Giving, Tithing, and Stewardship
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Christian Ministry: