Jubilee Church is in the process of finding a new building. We are being kicked out of our old place and have been searching for a new building for quite some time now. If I heard correctly, we have to be out by March. This isn't the first church I have been to that had to move. And to be honest, I like it. Most people in the church are stressed or upset during the moves, but I love it when a church has to move.
First, I think moving is a time that cements the people in the church together and the people realize that all the weight of the church cannot fall on only the pastor. It is a time for people to take responsibility for their church community.
Second, its a time of paring down what the church owns. Often a move (even a personal move to another house) means you take time to do inventory on what you have, what you need, and what you don't need. I think when we are honest with ourselves, there is a lot more of what we don't need. Churches should share their belongings with other churches. Older churches should come alongside church plants and help them with sunday school supplies or other things that usually just take up storage.
And finally, and most importantly, moving reminds a church that we are not settled here permanently. We are pilgrims moving around in a land that isn't our home. Moving to a new location should remind a church that she is not just her building. Heck, she is nothing of her building. God is not building His kingdom in the brick walls that surround us but in restoring relationships. When the Village Church (in NYC) had to move from our nice church building into a public school auditorium, I think some people had a hard time seeing the blessing in the move. THe new auditorium was cold, nothing was sacred about the building, and there was awkward space for the postworship fellowship time. But I was so blessed to see our church move, to go into a place where we weren't necessarily comfortable, knowing that God was leading us and He was going to have us worship Him where He called us to worship Him.
So my brothers and sisters at Jubilee, let us take comfort and count it our joy that we must move. For moving is a manifold blessing in our lives.
First, I think moving is a time that cements the people in the church together and the people realize that all the weight of the church cannot fall on only the pastor. It is a time for people to take responsibility for their church community.
Second, its a time of paring down what the church owns. Often a move (even a personal move to another house) means you take time to do inventory on what you have, what you need, and what you don't need. I think when we are honest with ourselves, there is a lot more of what we don't need. Churches should share their belongings with other churches. Older churches should come alongside church plants and help them with sunday school supplies or other things that usually just take up storage.
And finally, and most importantly, moving reminds a church that we are not settled here permanently. We are pilgrims moving around in a land that isn't our home. Moving to a new location should remind a church that she is not just her building. Heck, she is nothing of her building. God is not building His kingdom in the brick walls that surround us but in restoring relationships. When the Village Church (in NYC) had to move from our nice church building into a public school auditorium, I think some people had a hard time seeing the blessing in the move. THe new auditorium was cold, nothing was sacred about the building, and there was awkward space for the postworship fellowship time. But I was so blessed to see our church move, to go into a place where we weren't necessarily comfortable, knowing that God was leading us and He was going to have us worship Him where He called us to worship Him.
So my brothers and sisters at Jubilee, let us take comfort and count it our joy that we must move. For moving is a manifold blessing in our lives.
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