For instance, the church has since created a special-needs ministry, including a sensory room and indoor play area. It has added classrooms and converted a multipurpose room into office space. Another forward-looking opportunity was the reimagining an adjacent automotive garage. Practically, its acquisition created 38 additional, much-needed parking spots. But the potential ministry payoff was an even bigger incentive.“ That space came to us like a godsend: we gave the owners property across the street, and they built a new automotive facility on it,” Mills says.“ We painted the garage, polished the floor and flipped it into the student ministry.” At 4,000 square feet, this facility now features a rec area and a worship space. The church also plans to consolidate its offices and eventually repurpose an existing house currently used as administrative space. The long-term vision is to turn that house back into a residence that could accommodate missionaries on furlough, provide transitional housing for a new employee, or potentially serve women escaping abusive situations.“ This is all Jamus’ s vision, but Rodney’ s master plans are phenomenal,” Mills points out.“ We don’ t do a thing without going to him first.”
Stewardship: part of engaging design Pleasant Valley ultimately finished construction four months ahead of schedule and $ 650,000 under budget. Mills says he understands why.“ Pastors in general are pretty trustworthy people, honest people,” he says.“ If you get somebody unscrupulous— or just inexperienced with building churches specifically— pastors are going to take them at their word.” When a project goes over budget, however, the contractor isn’ t the one explaining the situation to the congregation. The pastor is. The result is friction.“ Here again, with Master’ s Plan, our leadership has a sense of a peace,” Mills says.“ Here’ s a guy who’ s been the pastor of a church that’ s done construction. And he’ s about ministry first and the dollar second. You feel like you have a partner rather than an adversary.”
18 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | JULY / AUGUST 2026