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Question from a friend of WordTruth Press:>>>I am having a difficult time finding what the Bible would say about building a church facility. We have a very small country church. Our average Sunday service consists of 60 to 80 people. We are currently renting a small church. We have a chance to purchase for a very discounted price 10 acres of land next to a cemetery. We have part of the money in a building fund. Naturally, there are those that oppose this. Their thinking is that we do not need a bigger church when there are so many desperate situations around the world that we should apply the money to. We do support missionaries as we can and on a regular basis. I am confused. I can see the benefit of a larger (150 - 200) church for this growing community but I feel guilty when others suggest that it is gluttonous and wrong. How do we know which way God would have us spend what is His anyway? Please give me some references.>>> WordTruth Press Response:It appears that your church is at a significant fork in the road. This is an opportunity for each member and the corporate membership to grow in faith. From a biblical perspective, there is no prescribed structure for a church. In the early years of the New Testament church, people met in houses. This is an observation from Scripture not a command. meeting in houses was a necessity due to the maturity of the church as an organization and the persecution suffered by church members. Other than that, there is no example of church structures for worship or ministry. The command for the church is, of course, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) where we are commanded by our LORD Jesus to go and make disciples, baptize, and teach them. There is no prescriptive form for the church nor its buildings. So it is up to each body of believers to prayerfully seek God's priorities for that local church and faithfully pursue His vision for the community in which the church is planted. This may involve permanent buildings as a base for one or more ministries. Or this may mean the local church rents space to remain as lean and mobile as possible. Where there is no a prescriptive command or pattern to follow, believers have liberty. The key is the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the planning and execution of ministry objectives. If a permanent structure would enable your church to reach more people in the community, then it is worth bringing before the LORD to ascertain if it is His vision. Trust that the LORD knows what is best and will guide those who are willing to listen and seek His guidance. One could certainly argue the immediate needs of the poor outweigh the long-term needs for a building. Or that the need for world missions is greater than the need for a church building. Or that a soup kitchen is more important than Sunday School space. But what are God's priorities for your congregation? Can your church sustain itself with the present membership and facilities? Can your church reach more people in the community without a change in facilities? The Great Commission is an imperative and every body of believers must obey the command of Christ to make disciples. The strategies for doing this vary based on the uniqueness of each body of believers. I hope this provides some insight into this
strategic issue for your church. Please let me know how things progress. I
will be praying for you and your church. Rev. Randy Lariscy :-) |
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