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Step 1
Organize an organ committee - not too large. Three to six members works well for such a committee. A small committee produces effectively together with organ briefings, trips and so forth. Understand the chain of command in your church so you know who is the decision maker.
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Step 2
Enlist your committee members with great care. You want bright, sound judgment, diverse professions, team members and go getters. You need to trust them and be able to communicate with them. Educate your committee on pipe organs. Bring books, videos, listen to recordings and visit other churches with pipe organs.
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Step 3
Create a time line detailing the plan of when the church will have its pipe organ. The time line includes fund raising, briefings, visits to churches with organs and the day the organ arrives. Run the committee meetings like a synchronized team with an agenda and time limits--keep them focused on the objective.
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Step 4
List out the kind of organ the church needs and why. Include visual effect in the church, style, musical tone, physical size, organ's lifespan, required space and cost.
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Step 5
Invite organ professors and organ builders to your committee meeting to brief and educate them on all the details about pipe organs. Discuss quality of material versus quantity of pipes. Go over workmanship and servicing of organs.
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Step 6
Collect three bids from three highly-qualified organ builders. Decide which building bid is the best for the church and congregation. Make that decision stick. Ask for the builder's list of clients from the past five years. Ask for references as well.
