Arise and Build : Mastering the Realities of Church Building

God's kingdom is all about growth. The surge of vision, the expansion of ministries, the smashing in of the gates of hell. The starting point is always a Spirit-fueled dream, one which bucks the odds of impossibility and abandons common sense in favor of breathtaking faith.

The resulting journey is truly spiritual, as church leaders wrestle with the delicate balance of adrenaline-filled dreams, hard-fought daily realities, and hell-bent forces of spiritual warfare. Perhaps nowhere is this experienced more vividly than in a church building project. Just as God desires to accelerate His work on earth, Satan seeks to abort it. Without proper guidance and a prayerful support system, a building project can quickly crumble into power struggles, congregational disunity, and considerable financial loss.

In this groundbreaking book, architect and church expert Michael Barnes delivers a proven blueprint for successfully navigating any church building plan. Both inspirational and practical, this indispensable guide is full of spiritual insights, time-tested guidelines, and wise financial considerations.

The end result is a powerful manifesto on church master planning - a paradigm which catapults a pastor's God-given vision into the very health of the church's leadership, congregation, and larger community.

Michael D. Barnes, A.I.A., N.C.A.R.B., is Founder and President of Barnes Design Group, P.C., a Virginia Beach, Virginia firm providing architectural services for a variety of church building projects. A Christian firm with a unique mission, Barnes Design Group counts churches as 95% of its current clientele with over 300 church commissions. It is this invaluable experience which positions Barnes Design Group, P.C., as the premier church architect in the Southeastern United States.

Mr. Barnes is often referred to as a church expert and is hired as both a Liturgical Consultant and Church Architect. He has special expertise in church programming, master site planning, church layout, and sanctuary design. Mr. Barnes has designed sanctuaries with seating capacities ranging between 100 and 50,000 people.

Mr. Barnes currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia with his wife, Candice. They have 4 children. His previous book was "The Highest Calling...Fatherhood."