Tools for Building and Property Assessment
Church buildings are some of our most important – and costly – ministry assets. When planning for a church’s building needs, or determining how the building may need to change, these tools may be helpful.
In addition to counting the costs about your property, it may be enlightening to have someone unfamiliar with your building provide your church with a fresh perspective on the facility. United Methodist Communications, one of the agencies of the General Church, offers many resources for welcoming and hospitality, through its RethinkChurch and training ministries. Your conference tithes help support the creation of these resources and free downloads.
The Mystery Guest Program through Faith Perceptions discovers exactly what first-time visitors think and feel about a church, its visibility in the community, and the friendliness of its people. We encourage churches participating in Step 2 of the Fruitful Congregation Journey to request “mystery guest” reports as part of the process and all churches are welcome to explore this program independently.
The Indiana Center for Congregations also offers a Congregational Resource Guide, with numerous resources and assessments, on a variety of topics.
If you are interested in further exploring mystery guest reports, friendliness audits, signage assessments, etc., please contact your Church Development staff district liaison. Find out who serves your district here.