Not Just for Sundays Any More
Church facilities have traditionally been among the most under-utilized buildings in America, sitting empty throughout most of the week. We believe that there are incredible opportunities to develop projects that allow ministry facilities to serve the needs of the local community, not just on Sundays, but 7 days a week.
In recent years, the idea of merging for-profit business within church facilities has become a hallmark of BGW projects. In many cases, these “financially sustainable” models can not only reduce existing overhead costs, but can also become a true catalyst for ministry growth and community impact.
Church facilities have traditionally been among the most under-utilized buildings in America, sitting empty throughout most of the week. We believe that there are incredible opportunities to develop projects that allow ministry facilities to serve the needs of the local community, not just on Sundays, but 7 days a week.
In recent years, the idea of merging for-profit business within church facilities has become a hallmark of BGW projects. In many cases, these “financially sustainable” models can not only reduce existing overhead costs, but can also become a true catalyst for ministry growth and community impact.
Child Care Centers in Churches
While there are a number of possibilities for financially sustainable business models in churches, child care centers have proven to be the most natural fit for ministries. BGW has partnered with Lionheart Children’s Academy , a Christian non-profit that partners with local churches to launch and operate child care centers in their facilities — offering full-time preschool, after school, and summer programs for ages infant to 12 years.
Lionheart’s mission is to empower local churches to take leadership of the child care industry. They believe that reaching more children is THE key strategy for significant incremental advancement of the Gospel, and the child care industry represents the best opportunity to do so.
Lionheart blesses the church by attracting and assimilating more young families, generating additional funding for ministry and handling all the operational concerns. They are involved in BGW projects from the earliest stages of design, providing valuable input on business feasibility, space layout, code requirements and more.
With 11 locations throughout Texas and Ohio, and a number of other facilities in development throughout the U.S., Lionheart is passionate about equipping kids to be world changers and supporting working parents who need quality, affordable care and education for their children. With an emphasis on children’s educational and spiritual growth, Lionheart’s innovative curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM), with a hands-on program designed to give preschoolers a huge head start on learning core scientific concepts.
While there are a number of possibilities for financially sustainable business models in churches, child care centers have proven to be the most natural fit for ministries. BGW has partnered with Lionheart Children’s Academy, a Christian non-profit that partners with local churches to launch and operate child care centers in their facilities — offering full-time preschool, after school, and summer programs for ages infant to 12 years.
Lionheart’s mission is to empower local churches to take leadership of the child care industry. They believe that reaching more children is THE key strategy for significant incremental advancement of the Gospel, and the child care industry represents the best opportunity to do so.
Lionheart blesses the church by attracting and assimilating more young families, generating additional funding for ministry and handling all the operational concerns. They are involved in BGW projects from the earliest stages of design, providing valuable input on business feasibility, space layout, code requirements and more.
With 11 locations throughout Texas and Ohio, and a number of other facilities in development throughout the U.S., Lionheart is passionate about equipping kids to be world changers and supporting working parents who need quality, affordable care and education for their children. With an emphasis on children’s educational and spiritual growth, Lionheart’s innovative curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM), with a hands-on program designed to give preschoolers a huge head start on learning core scientific concepts.
Learn more about how Lionheart Children’s Academy and BGW partner with local churches to reach more young families and children.
Our Evaluation Process
Our process for exploring the potential of a professionally managed child care center in your new building begins with what we call a “Story Call”. Every church is different and it would be a mistake to believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution. That is why our process begins with listening. We want to know the story of your church. We want to understand where your church has been so that we might help it go where God is calling it to go. This perspective gathering is the focus of this introductory 30-60 minute Story Call.
Pastor Matt Roberts and his team at the Genesis Project serve as Church Strategy Consultants for BGW, specializing in helping churches think strategically about these kinds of financially sustainable business models.
Matt is the Founder and Lead Pastor at The Genesis Project, a church-based in Ogden, Utah that has grown to a multi-site movement in 6 communities across the nation, reaching thousands every week. For nearly 20 years, Matt has served in various roles helping churches and denominations revitalize and reimagine their church planting strategies through an embedded, sustainable, community lens. We believe that this initial collaboration with another pastor who intimately understands the challenges you are facing is key to our evaluation process.
Following the Story Call, a recommendation is made regarding next steps, which could include a demographic study of your area and/or further discussions with BGW Architects and Lionheart Children’s Academy to assess preliminary feasibility.
Our process for exploring the potential of a professionally managed child care center in your new building begins with what we call a “Story Call”. Every church is different and it would be a mistake to believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution. That is why our process begins with listening. We want to know the story of your church. We want to understand where your church has been so that we might help it go where God is calling it to go. This perspective gathering is the focus of this introductory 30-60 minute Story Call.
Pastor Matt Roberts and his team at the Genesis Project serve as Church Strategy Consultants for BGW, specializing in helping churches think strategically about these kinds of financially sustainable business models.
Matt is the Founder and Lead Pastor at The Genesis Project, a church-based in Ogden, Utah that has grown to a multi-site movement in 6 communities across the nation, reaching thousands every week. For nearly 20 years, Matt has served in various roles helping churches and denominations revitalize and reimagine their church planting strategies through an embedded, sustainable, community lens. We believe that this initial collaboration with another pastor who intimately understands the challenges you are facing is key to our evaluation process.
Following the Story Call, a recommendation is made regarding next steps, which could include a demographic study of your area and/or further discussions with BGW Architects and Lionheart Children’s Academy to assess preliminary feasibility.
