You've decided to build a new church or to build on to your existing church. This is a very exciting time in the life of a congregation, full of big dreams and excitement about the fellowship that will be enjoyed in your new house of worship.

But don't let all that excitement keep you from seeing the hard reality that a church construction project is a very complex process that can end up costing you a lot more time and money if you don't do it right.

It is imperative that you find professionals to work with on your project who actually have documented experience working with your type of project. While a development is a development in the eyes of city planners, it will help you tremendously if you can work with someone who has been through the process of church construction in the past.

Just because you hire the best expert church builders out there, however, does not mean that your voice as the pastor of the church should not be heard. It's your money — really, your congregation's money — that is going to build the church, and if your needs aren't being met you need to find new people to work with or insist on doing things the way you think is best for your congregation.

There are many legal and technical hurdles that need to be cleared in the process of building a new church, from site selection and improvement to making sure you can actually build on the site and get utilities there, traffic studies, zoning codes, sign regulations and much more. These land use details can take up a big chunk of your budget, and most pastors don't even think about them in the planning process.

That's why it is so important to work with a professional in church construction who can really help you with your master plan so you know how big of a building you need, what kind of spaces should be included and how to position it on your site so that it meets all code requirements.

When you're excited about getting a new building it can seem like a waste of time to take these slow planning steps, but good master planning is never a waste and often saves you money because you know the potential issues before they come up.

This will allow you to really enjoy the design and construction process for your new church and will ensure that you're meeting all the necessary requirements your city or county have for new construction. It's not glamorous, but it's very important for your project's success.