Reframing How to Think About Your Next Church Building Project
A Conversation with Visioneering Studios’ Dave Milam
When churches dream about the future, the conversation often turns toward space—more room to disciple, gather, and reach people. But before you sketch floor plans or price out a project, there’s a more foundational question:
Are you building with clarity, or simply with urgency?
In this insightful conversation, Visioneering Studios’ Dave Milam joins Auxano’s Bryan Rose to unpack the biggest mistakes church leaders make when planning new facilities and how to approach your next project with clarity and confidence, not confusion.
What You'll Learn in This Conversation
Why most building projects start backward.
Too often, leaders jump straight to “Let’s draw it and see what it costs.” Bryan and Dave unpack why this approach leads to frustration, stalled projects, and costly do-overs.
The better way forward: Choose clarity before design.
Learn how to flip the typical consumer mindset (see → price → decide) into a more intentional framework (clarify → decide → see), ensuring your project starts with vision and stewardship.
Three questions every church must answer before dreaming:
- What do we believe about debt? Debt is theological before it’s financial.
- How much debt is wise? A good rule of thumb: no more than 3x your annual giving.
- Who’s the right campaign partner? A trusted campaign team can often help raise 1.5–2x more.
Access Two Free Resources
Buildify App - Learn More!
Watch the full conversation to learn about Buildify—Visioneering Studios’ project-readiness tool that helps your team evaluate your church’s current capacity, timing, and project readiness. Listen until the end for a special access code to access the tool for free ($200 value).
Vision War Chest Guide - Download Now!
Every wise building project starts long before blueprints. It starts with intentional generosity. Download the Vision War Chest guide to help your team prepare financially for what God may be calling you to build.
This video is one part of a longer dialogue on building with clarity. Want the complete conversation? Watch the Full Conversation