Our Building?

A church building can become one of the strangest things in the life of a congregation. We can spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and money maintaining a building. We can worry about scratches on the floor, furniture being damaged or moved, and utilities being used. We can become very good at protecting the building.

I wonder, when might safeguarding the building run in conflict with serving others? Afterall, this is God’s space… not ours. You know me, I don’t have the answers. I only have questions. What happens when a church building becomes more valuable to us as property than as a ministry? What happens when keeping the building pristine matters more than filling it with people? Or the more challenging question… what does the church exist for?

There is an inherent contradiction between God’s Kingdom and the reality of a church building. The physical church has walls; those walls exist to separate. Jesus on the other hand, tore walls down. Jesus ate with outsiders. Jesus welcomed strangers. Jesus touched people that others avoided. Jesus had no building, he went where religious people thought he shouldn't go. Jesus continually challenged those who had convinced themselves that they were the rightful owners of God's space.

Lamb of God does a great job leaving our building to serve and partner with outside organizations.  Our outreach ministry rocks! Now imagine if our community came to think of this location as a place where people can gather, create, learn, celebrate, find support, serve others, and experience hospitality.

Imagine a child experiencing bold inclusion and abundant love for the first time here, then becoming curious about Worship on Sunday morning. Imagine a nonprofit organization finding a home here. Imagine musicians filling the room with music. Imagine families celebrating important moments here. That is ministry. The rooms will get messy. There will be inconveniences. Things might get moved. Floors might get dirty. Utilities will cost money. Opening the doors might be a little risky. But to be honest, if the price for comfort is inaccessibility, then we cannot afford it.

Please don’t misunderstand, we should be wise. We should have policies. We should protect the property. We should be good stewards. But a church building that is always perfectly preserved but rarely used, misunderstands our mission.

I deeply lament the loss of our preschool. That life-giving energy will be difficult to replace. But we also have an opportunity before us. As you pray and reflect on the new vacancy in the Vineyard, I would argue that our next moves will define our future. Wherever we go, we must remain committed to the idea that our building belongs to God. The question that I am repeating to myself is… "God, what are you trying to do through us?"

Open to all,

Pastor Lucas