Church Building Campaign

[Guest]

What are your thoughts on giving money to a Church building campaign?

My current Church is embarking on a campaign to raise additional 1.4 million to build a larger building (this after 1 million has already been raised over the last three years). The justification is that there is currently not enough room for the congregation and the activities they want to offer.

I'm not sure what I think about this. There are so many pressing needs out there that I'm not sure if giving to this campaign (where there will be a gym, coffee area, etc) is being a good steward of my money.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

Brian

[Guest]

There are so many pressing needs out there that I'm not sure if giving to this campaign (where there will be a gym, coffee area, etc) is being a good steward of my money.

I personally would not give to the building of extravagancies like gyms and coffee houses or even fancy buildings for that matter (what on earth does that have to do with the kingdom of God?). According to my conscience, that would be poor stewardship.


God bless,

[Guest]

For me, it would depend of whether or not the church is making radical disciples of Jesus Christ on a regular basis. If so, I'll tend to think they've got good reasons (which i'm sure they'll be glad to explain) for building

[Guest]

What I'd be curious to know, if I were a member, is what percentage of the church's budget goes to the poor vs. the building project, the current building, salaries, etc. By "goes to the poor" I mean both in terms of direct assistance and programs, both locally and abroad. How many people are dying each day in Africa? How many people in the community are in need of assistance? How many people in the local congregation are struggling financially? Is the church actively engaged in these issues? If not, I would be dubious about the Biblicality of making a building the priority.

[Guest]

postpre,

In general, I am not a huge fan of church building projects, or even church buildings per se.

However, I do participate in a local church that rents and has to put up and take down each week. It is very demanding on the people and I think is a bit of a distraction from fellowship, etc.. and I can see how having our own space would be beneficial, esp if it didn't cost any more.

By the way, I am encouranged that our church's building costs are very low.. I think less than 20%.. but can't remember.

in Him,
Les

[Guest]

Its one thing if a church rents a bldg.. Or needs money for expenses, yes,
but a HUGE bldg project, No thanks!

[Guest]

What are your thoughts on giving money to a Church building campaign?

My current Church is embarking on a campaign to raise additional 1.4 million to build a larger building (this after 1 million has already been raised over the last three years). The justification is that there is currently not enough room for the congregation and the activities they want to offer.

I'm not sure what I think about this. There are so many pressing needs out there that I'm not sure if giving to this campaign (where there will be a gym, coffee area, etc) is being a good steward of my money.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

Brian

Honestly, it sounds just like my church. I've talked with the "leaders" openly and honestly in discussion groups they set up so people could voice concerns. However, they seem dead set on what they want and have spent a fair amount of money on campaigning. To put it quite simply the church was growing very fast in Paul's day and he never saw the need to even mention the necessity of laying aside money for entertainment or attracting the unconverted by having buildings built. The response I got when I brought this up was something like: "the times an culture are different now".

I can't give to their building project with a clear conscience. It's too bad too because they are otherwise open and normally don't try to force feed their own doctrines on people.

postpre,

In general, I am not a huge fan of church building projects, or even church buildings per se.

However, I do participate in a local church that rents and has to put up and take down each week. It is very demanding on the people and I think is a bit of a distraction from fellowship, etc.. and I can see how having our own space would be beneficial, esp if it didn't cost any more.

By the way, I am encouranged that our church's building costs are very low.. I think less than 20%.. but can't remember.

in Him,
Les

Les,
The church I attend is always in need of people to help tear down and set up the chairs, etc. because they do different activities. They are also always coming up with "ministries" where they are always asking for help with. The thing is that most of these ministries aren't necessary (like baking cookies for new-comers). It's great if someone wants to do it. It's another thing to harp on how people should be involved in God's church and then casually mention the cookie ministry or something like it.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that these things are wrong, it's just a lot of "fluff" that they try very hard to perpetuate when someone leaves one of these ministry positions open (or create a new one).

So while having a facility may cut down set-up time, it may lead to a push to do more and more things with the facility now that it's there, leading to more work. But, obviously it could go the other way too.

I think if God provides then it's the right thing to do. I don't feel good about the Pastor announcing "God's Vision" to build but you've got to pick up the slack where God forgot to pay His share.

It seems that seeking the kingdom of God is our part, and all "these" things will be added by God (Luke 12:31). Not "If you build it, they will come".

[Guest]

i thought i'd share what recently happened at my church.

about a year ago, the church decided it was time to add on (in truth we did probably need to as space is pretty much maxed out). there was a big fundraising campaign, rah- rah banquet and everything. at that time, a certain vision/plan was presented to the church as to what the building plan was, what it would cost, etc.

just today, we found out that what was originally presented (and what people made a pledge toward) is not going to happen. something else is going to happen that wasnt contemplated at all when people made their pledges etc.

at this point i am not sure exactly what happened (we should know shortly) but i suspect the initial plans (presented by christian architects) were pipe dreams that turned out, in reality, to be too expensive.

i trust and know the members on the "building committee" and i am sure they are doing what is best for the church.

needless to say, however, it is a little disheartening.

TK

[Guest]

My church has gone through 2 buildings since 1997. We grew that much. Then when we got into the 2nd building and after a year the giving tapered off and we were having a shortfall each month. 2 months ago someone from the membership paid off the mortgage of 800 thousand dollars. We are only a community of 10,000 people and not exactly affluent. I have mixed emotions about this. Sometimes people get ahead of God and do things on their own for their own reasons. I don't know if this is what happened since I don't know who the donor was but with the giving way down there must be a problem of some sort and I thought we should have addressed that first before getting bailed out.

Your thoughts.

[Guest]

Sometimes, it isn't so much the fact that a community of believers is building (or adding onto) a structure that bothers me, but the way they go about "raising the funds". Much of the process of "fund raising" seems to utilize guilt, pressure and other secular methods that seem foreign to the ways of Jesus and the apostles. If God purposes a community of believers to have a building, then he will provide for it, without our scheming and ideas.

This isn't to promote passivity, but too often we get impatient with God (or forget to ask Him altogether) and take matters into our own hands. Maybe God doesn't want our local community of believers to stay centralized in a bigger building, but to decentralize and scatter for His glory. This isn't often appealing to the "church" leadership.

Another objection I have to many church "building projects" is that the project itself originates from and is sustained by the faulty view of preference given to the local community of believers over the global church. So we give money to expensive sound systems, plasma TV's in the sunday school rooms and high cost building materials while our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer in undue hardship, hunger and extreme poverty (often with joy as they walk in Jesus' steps). Then there are the billions of people all over the world who haven't heard of God's love through Jesus because of barriers (social, economic, political, etc) that could be lessened or removed through the resources of the Western church. Perhaps, more of a minimalist approach should guide these projects.

However, all this to say that buildings or building projects are not necessarily antithetical to the church, but rather amoral things that may or may not be purposed by God.

I heard of a church that, in the process of saving to purchase a building, gave the first million dollars away.

I guess my approach is to understand as much about the purpose of the project itself and then ask God what he wants me to give.



Dave