By Jeff Molnar
KALAMAZOO, Michigan--We moved into a beautiful little church here about three months ago, and it has been a huge boost to our congregation (especially after being in the same grade school gym for 27 years).
I found that worshiping in a new environment helped everyone to be excited and focus more on the worship than on who's not here this week.
My wife, Susy, and I called dozens of churches in the area. Here are some things we could share:
1) Most "big" churches have a full calendar of activities on most days. Often Saturdays are reserved for weddings and big socials.
2) Most big churches do not need our money, as they are well financed.
3) Thusly, we found that a small to medium size church is more open to discuss our renting. Typically they don't use the building more than twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday for instance), and, typically a small church could use the extra money that we would pay for rent.
We pay only $150 per week for all day Saturday and Tuesday nights (and that is about half of what we were paying for the gym on Saturdays only).
And best of all, no chairs to set up and take down. Padded pews--what a concept! Life is good.
Some other potential benefits:
* an actual church seems to boost worship and expression
* most churches have several other rooms ideal for meetings, prayer groups and rehearsals.
* the extra $400-600 per month that we add to their budget ensures that this pastor does not have to be bi-vocational as his church can just barely support him.
* it opens dialogue with other pastors and churches.
* we borrow helpful ideas from them, such as their bulletin.
* we could share service projects, activities and even seasonal celebrations with the host church.
* we could combine youth activities (their group is small, ours is small--do some things together).
* And, perhaps most importantly, they see firsthand evidence of revival and a church that is reborn and on fire in the Worldwide Church of God.
Nov. 19, 1996, Worldwide News, page 11.
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