Tag Archives: new church building

New Digs

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shapeimage 1 1771 300x171 New Digs

And he brought us into this place and gave us this land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 26:9

I am so ready to say good-by to our old church digs. No more dark, dingy Livery basement with its mold and mildew that wreaked havoc with allergies. No more trailer to unload and load Sunday morning at the high school auditorium. No more hunts for a janitor to unlock doors. No more nursery or kids’ Sunday school in the hallways. No more dance decorations to send kids into overdrive. No more bone-chilling cold during worship. No more, no more, no more.

In fact, my eyes have been so focused on Division Street, our promised land flowing with milk, honey, that I’ve forgotten to be thankful for God’s provision while we wandered the wilderness. For almost ten years He faithfully provided space to meet our needs. To be sure, sometimes we were cramped. Often, the arrangements were inconvenient. Constantly, we were forced to make do, innovate, and adapt.

But, through it all, we learned to respond with more creativity than we knew we had. We learned to rely upon one another, persevere when faced with obstacles, laugh in the midst of ridiculous situations, and wear long underwear to church in October.

More important, we saw God present among us, honoring our feeble attempts to honor him. We observed how He answered our prayers in unexpected ways and in His perfect time. We felt His Spirit envelope both the basement of an old livery stable and an ordinary high school auditorium, transforming them into holy ground.

So before we move to the land of milk and honey, we should pause and give thanks for what God has done during our decade in the wilderness. For providing this house of worship. For constantly demonstrating His faithfulness. For maturing us into a persevering people confident in His power.

And as we move ahead, we must continue to pray for what we leave behind. Pray that His Spirit will linger in this high school and the Livery, changing the hearts of students, staff, and businesspeople. Pray that we use the energy formerly required to set up and tear down each Sunday and direct it in compassion toward the lost in this town. Pray that the memories of cramped spaces, making do, and unloading the trailer will remain fresh in our minds so we never take our new home for granted.

Pray humbly. Pray thankfully. Pray confidently. Pray expectantly.

Nine Years

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shapeimage 1 419 300x171 Nine Years

“How long has our church been meeting in the high school?” someone asked at Small Church the other night.

“Nine years,” I said. It’s easy for me to keep track since we started using the auditorium the spring Allen graduated from high school.

Has it really been nine years? Nine years of hauling sound equipment for the worship band, setting up the nursery in hallways, and Sunday school in the foyer. No wonder the storage bins full of nursery toys and Sunday school materials are wearing out. No wonder the people who pack the trailer were dog tired.

But this spring, a little spring has returned to their step.
A little zip is zippadying their doo-dahs.
A little vim is vitalizing their vigor.

Why?

Because in a few months, our new church building will be finished. The sound equipment will stay put from week to week. The nursery will have four solid walls where our babies will be safe. The Sunday school classes will meet in rooms – maybe not completely finished when we move in, but they’ll be put to rights soon. Very soon.

Living through it, nine years seemed like an eternity of hauling tubs and hustling to get out of the building on time each week. But looking back, it seems like hardly enough time for a small group of people to find property and pay for it, raise half a million dollars, secure a loan for the remaining costs, and build a church. And looking forward, nine years seems like nothing compared to the enormity of the task – spreading the good news of a risen Savior so others will come to faith and spend eternity with Him.

Once we’re in our new building, what will God do then? How will he change us? What will the next nine years bring?

One Year Ago

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shapeimage 1 377 300x171 One Year Ago

Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
It is He who changes the times and the seasons.
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.
Daniel 2:20-21

One year ago, our son was in a monastery, our daughter thought she’d never meet a guy who met her exacting standards, A Different Dream for My Child was a work-in-progress, as was a mystery novel, and my mother thought she would move back into her Boone house come spring.

This year, our son is living in St. Paul and getting married in April, our daughter will marry in July. A Different Dream for My Child is in the bookstores with the possibility of a companion book on the horizon, the mystery novel is toast, and Mom sold her house.

Prior to all these events, I spent six years of praying for my family and career, patiently waiting for God to get moving. Well, to be honest, I tugged on God’s sleeve, impatient for Him to get cracking my to do list according to the handy-dandy timeline I’d created. Instead, He waited for His perfect time, and when it arrived, a whole lot of moving and shaking took place in one short year.

God’s been at work in our church family in a similar fashion. A year ago, the banks wouldn’t give GCC a construction loan, a successful building fund campaign in the middle of a recession seemed like a fool’s dream, church attenders thought being “missional” had something to do with NASA, and Joel relaunched our youth program.

Then in His perfect time, God shook things up. He provided both a better than expected loan and construction bid. The building fund campaign surpassed expectations, our congregation developed a missional mindset, and the youth program blasted off.

So why did God wait so long to change things? Because He did first things first, instilling wisdom and knowledge within us so we’d be ready for the spiritual opposition that always accompanies the advancement of His kingdom. He trained us for years, teaching us patience, building our strength, deepening our faith, so that when the moving and shaking began, we would rely upon Him, even as spiritual battles raged.

Once in awhile, I think six years wasn’t enough time to prepare me for two weddings in three months. I think our church isn’t ready to stand against the spiritual opposition we’re facing. But then God tugs on my sleeve and reminds me of two things. His job is to order the times and the seasons. My job is to trust His timing.