So Many Obstacles!
Have you ever moved forward in faith, sure that you knew what God wanted you to do, only to encounter trial after trial, roadblock after roadblock?
In January of 2005 we celebrated our 90th Anniversary by raising over $600,000 to begin transforming our campus. We knew God wanted us to build on this beautiful piece of property. A new worship center seemed like the logical choice. So we initiated a capital campaign, and started planning our construction.
Every month we poured ourselves into the project. We estimated the scope and cost, and announced it to the congregation. And then, something would happen and we would have to rethink and re-plan, and re-report the revised plans and figures to our people.
By the time we had our big Groundbreaking Ceremony under a tent over three years later, we were sure the construction was just a few days off. But it all fell apart again. Finally, we told the church that we needed to move forward with a new construction team and timeline, we would “get back to them” as soon as we had a clearer picture.
But I Can’t Build a Doghouse?
Since I can’t build a doghouse, I have no idea if we could have planned this better. I do know that we were on our knees every step of the way and always told the church exactly what we knew and all that we knew.
Though the Bible says nothing about how to transform a campus or build a worship center, it has a lot to say about how to lead a church—by building loving, mature trust on the leadership team and between the leaders and the people. And that is what we have dedicated ourselves to with all our heart.
At our Thursday elder meeting we knew that last Sunday’s business meeting could get dicey. The building is going to cost a lot more than we originally thought and we’re not absolutely sure where all of this money is going to come from. But we’re confident that this is where God wants us to go.
We do know that God has blessed us with deep unity. The years of building a strong, loving bond of trust between the elders and the flock have led us to an amazingly healthy place. And so, we just decided to risk it before God—to risk God’s glory to this community under the Headship of the Lord Jesus.
100% Vote in a Church?!
When the ballots were counted it was unanimous: 159 for moving forward, 0 against.
If you’ve been around churches for more than a few months, you know that this degree of unity is more than remarkable—it’s supernatural. Our joy over the Spirit’s deep work in our lives was so strong, the chairman of the elder board forgot to vote!
We’ll have to amend the minutes at our next congregational business meeting from 159 for and 0 against to 160 for and 0 against!
It was a mighty work of God—He did His part. He always does. And though our part was small by comparison, it was critical. As shepherds, we did what He told us—we made disciples as we built a loving community.
You may be in the middle of a lengthy trial right now, or feel like the Lord is delaying your dream. You might even wonder if He has forgotten all about you. Could it be that you’re worrying about God’s part while neglecting your part? I’m sure that if you spent some time in prayer and asked a few mature Christians for some guidance, God would clearly point out your part in all of this. And once you’ve discovered that, you’re in the good place of trusting Him for the rest!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledged Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
