My Church Building Experience
We have it! After long years of working through the pricey maze that is Los Angeles County to get a building permit, we have it in hand. We are all excited, and we should be. It is a great thing to build a home for our congregation to serve the Lord in our community. My hope is our land will be used to faithfully serve Christ until He returns.
Let me tell you about my own brief experience with a church building project. Decades ago, Laura and I were attending a very large church where I came to Christ. Working on a Master’s degree in seminary and pastoral ministry were still years ahead of us, and we decided to find a small church we could join and participate in. We started attending an Evangelical Free Church in Sunland. That church was just completing an educational wing next to their sanctuary. Everyone was doing what they could, so we jumped right in to help paint and cut panels for their drop ceiling. We didn’t know many people yet, but working alongside folks on their building was a great way to build relationships as well as a structure.
When it was all done, they had a big celebration on a Sunday evening, giving thanks to the Lord and showing a collection of pictures from the beginning of the project to the end. Most of the men had jobs, of course, and the pictures revealed how they would come at night and work under a string of naked light bulbs laying the foundation, smoothing out the concrete, and starting on the walls. They were all very happy and filled with the joy of the Lord. Building together knit their hearts together.
This, I trust and pray, will be our experience. That spirit of unity will depend on us. We must labor for the Lord’s glory, without ego or perceived slights getting in the way. True cooperation always takes humility and love. So, as we do our part, whether it’s hanging a panel, painting a wall, running wire, or any other task, let us keep our hearts full of thanksgiving and serve in love for the glory of the Lord. And, Lord willing, may we all rejoice together in the celebration at the end!
Yours in Christ,
Originally printed in The AFBC Pony Express. Vol. VI, No. 6, June 2013.