There’s nothing like a cold sanctuary to get your attention. We are nearing completion of a campaign with one church whose furnace gave out – on Christmas Eve! That chilly wake-up call led them to take a serious look at their entire building, and what started as an emergency turned into a real moment of vision.

That’s what we’re exploring today: how a facilities assessment isn’t just about fixing what’s broken – it’s about making sure your building can carry your mission into the future.

You and I both know that buildings aren’t everything. But when it comes to ministry, they matter. They matter because the physical space where your church gathers shapes the spiritual, social, and missional life of your congregation in ways that are both seen and unseen.

So let me ask you this: When was the last time you really looked at your church building?

Not just noticing the flickering light in the narthex or the mysterious stain on the ceiling (we’ve all got one). I mean stepping back and asking: Is our building helping or hindering the ministry God is calling us to do right now?

If it’s been a while – or if that question makes your stomach flip just a little – this might be the perfect time to consider a facilities assessment.

What Is a Facilities Assessment – and Why Should You Care?

A facilities assessment is simply a structured way of evaluating the condition, functionality, and potential of your church building and grounds. It’s not just about catching what’s broken (though that’s part of it). It’s about taking stock of how your space is currently serving your mission – and imagining how it could serve you better.

It’s the kind of work that lets you shift from reactive to proactive. Instead of dealing with a surprise HVAC failure after it breaks down mid-sermon (yes, I’ve been there), a facilities assessment gives you the lay of the land so you can plan ahead. It’s about stewardship. And it’s about strategy.

What You Might Find When You Start Looking

Here’s what we often see when churches take on this kind of assessment:

• Deferred maintenance that’s gone unnoticed or unprioritized – think roofing, plumbing, or electrical work that’s been patched but not truly fixed
• Outdated or underused rooms that could be repurposed for growing ministries
• Accessibility gaps that unintentionally create barriers for members and visitors
• Inefficient systems driving up your utility bills without you realizing it
• Technology limitations that hold you back from offering hybrid worship or livestream options
• Opportunities to transform space or systems to enhance ministry for years to come

And sometimes, it’s not what’s broken – but what’s missing. A kitchen that can’t support your growing meal ministry. A cramped nursery that keeps young families away. A sanctuary that isn’t flexible enough for creative worship.

What You Can Do with What You Learn

When done right, a facilities assessment doesn’t just give you a list of problems – it helps you create a plan. You can:

• Prioritize updates based on urgency, cost, and ministry value
• Build a phased timeline and budget that makes long-term improvements feel manageable
• Use the results to spark meaningful conversation with your church board or building committee
• Communicate more clearly with your congregation – because a specific need with a clear purpose is much easier to support than a vague sense of “we need money for the building”

And of course, if a capital campaign is on your horizon, a facilities assessment is one of the best ways to clarify the scope and purpose of your campaign in a way that connects with donors’ hearts.

A Story That Stays with Me

Let me tell you about one congregation I worked with a few years ago. Their pastor called me to ask if we could help them “just get ahead of stuff.” They’d had a leaky roof, which they had patched but not replaced. But along the way they began to take note of other issues that seemed to be on the horizon. An aging boiler, an exterior door that was rotting away, and a need to enlarge restrooms near the Fellowship Hall. But the kicker was this: their youth group was meeting in what was once a storage closet, and they were growing – fast.

They did a full assessment, got a clear picture of their building’s needs and possibilities, and turned that into a vision. They launched a capital campaign focused not just on fixing what was broken, but on creating space that would better serve their young people, support their music ministry, and welcome the community in new ways.

It wasn’t easy. But a few years later, they’re still working their plan. The roof is the next big-ticket item, and they have the money saved from the campaign to do the work. And it all started with walking through their building, clipboards and coffee in hand, asking the simple question: What do we need to do so this place can keep doing what it was made to do?

Ready to Take a Look at Your Space?

If this is stirring something for you – good. That’s what it’s meant to do.

We’ve put together two free tools to help you get started with your own facilities assessment:

• Church Facilities Walkthrough Checklist
  A detailed guide to help you identify strengths, concerns, and opportunities as you walk through your buildings and grounds.
  👉 Download the Checklist
• Church Facilities Prioritization Matrix
  A simple but powerful grid to help you rank projects based on urgency and mission impact — so you can plan your next steps with clarity.
  👉 [Download the Prioritization Matrix]

You don’t have to figure everything out at once. And you certainly don’t have to do it alone.

If you’re ready to talk about what your church needs now — and what’s possible next — we’re here. Send us a message, and let’s start the conversation.

You don’t have to do it all at once. And you don’t have to do it alone.

If you’re ready to talk about what your church needs now – and what’s possible next – we’re here. Just send us a message, and let’s start the conversation.