Dear Church Family,

“…like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.” 
– 1 Corinthians 3:5-23

Dear Church Family,

“What are we building?” This should be a question the church asks in every generation. To answer that question, we need to ask another: “with what are we building?”

The early days when a church is meeting in a temporary, rented space are among the most exciting for a congregation. The reason is, as a church is being founded, it is on the move, telling the story of Jesus and of how it is working to connect people to the gospel. Every person becomes an evangelist, and every person has a job to do. This is usually a time of rapid growth for any congregation.

Things change when a congregation acquires property, builds a building, and moves into a building. Before, the only work a church had to do was reaching out into the community. Now the focus shifts to taking care of a building and developing the activities that take place in the building. People who once came early and were engaged in setting up and tearing down worship in a temporary space, now come and take their seat in a room that doesn’t have to be set up anymore. Paid staff begin to do the work of the ministry. Members, unintentionally, begin to move from the field to the bleachers. 

We all know the church in not a building; and yet, it is easy to forget that when so much of a church’s identity becomes associated with the place it gathers. That’s why it’s so important to remember what we are building with. Paul reminds the Corinthians that “you are God’s building.” Peter says, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” It turns out, a church is not built with bricks and mortar. We are the raw material out of which the church is built. 

That brings us to the question with which we began. What are we building? To answer this question, we must remember the foundation upon which we are building. That foundation isn’t a particular pastor who has come before, or a particular worship style, or a legacy mission; it is Jesus Christ.

So, we are the church, built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, with the purpose of introducing as many people in our community as possible to the Gospel. Buildings and property, organs and guitars, budgets and endowments are just tools churches use to accomplish their mission.

When we remember this, it becomes clear that we need to always be a church on the move. We can’t let buildings and property and legacy get in the way of our mission. 

That is why I am so excited about what we are building. Next year, we will begin to build a network of small groups which will meet in homes across our city, so we can bring the gospel to where the people are. We are going to create as many opportunities for hands-on service to our community as we can, so that we can invite as many people as possible to make a difference in the city they love.

We will build the church by being the church in all of the places people live, work, and play. Then, when we gather, we will gather as a network of smaller communities to celebrate the work of God among us.

It is stewardship season and we need your help. Will you pray about a financial gift that will allow us to be the church for our city in the year ahead? Money fuels our mission and every gift counts. While Commitment Sunday is October 27, you can pledge your financial support at any time here.

I always end each service by saying, “go and be the church” to remind us that the church is not the building where we gather, but that we are all a part of the church – living, moving, and active in our community and in the lives of our neighbors. I can’t wait to see all that God will do through us next year, as God accomplishes abundantly far more than we could ever ask or imagine!

Yours In Christ,

Pastor Lance
Rev. Lance Richards
Senior Pastor
[email protected]

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