Sometimes people ask, usually church people, why we don't we have a building, why worship in a school auditorium?
Here's one reason why. I was talking to the pastor of a congregation that is trying to get a mortgage for a building. The mortgage would cost them $12,000 per month. I suggested they rent an auditorium like we do, or if they have to have a building they move into a storefront warehouse for $3k/mo and use the extra $9k/mo ear marked for the building to invest in their community and reach out with God's love instead. Can you imagine how many leaders we could train, how many people we could invest in through serving them with God's love, how many people we could feed, how many Saturday mini-vbs's we could do, how many at risk kids we could reach, how many broken familes we could help restore, how many struggling single moms we could bless, how many people with hurts, hang-ups and habits we help in recovery, how many people we could share the hope we have in Christ with, etc. if we had an extra $9k/mo to invest in the community? And church folk want to put their money into a building? It just hurts my head how some can be so blessed and yet so short-sighted and unwise. In this new post-church world we have to rethink how we use, how we steward, the gifts God has given us. Rethinking the use of our resources will challenge and stretch us in way we haven't imagined. If your church is going to reach your community for Christ, you will be stretched and challenged to use your resources differently
I look forward to your comments!
Here's one reason why. I was talking to the pastor of a congregation that is trying to get a mortgage for a building. The mortgage would cost them $12,000 per month. I suggested they rent an auditorium like we do, or if they have to have a building they move into a storefront warehouse for $3k/mo and use the extra $9k/mo ear marked for the building to invest in their community and reach out with God's love instead. Can you imagine how many leaders we could train, how many people we could invest in through serving them with God's love, how many people we could feed, how many Saturday mini-vbs's we could do, how many at risk kids we could reach, how many broken familes we could help restore, how many struggling single moms we could bless, how many people with hurts, hang-ups and habits we help in recovery, how many people we could share the hope we have in Christ with, etc. if we had an extra $9k/mo to invest in the community? And church folk want to put their money into a building? It just hurts my head how some can be so blessed and yet so short-sighted and unwise. In this new post-church world we have to rethink how we use, how we steward, the gifts God has given us. Rethinking the use of our resources will challenge and stretch us in way we haven't imagined. If your church is going to reach your community for Christ, you will be stretched and challenged to use your resources differently
I look forward to your comments!
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