[219 words]
When we build our church buildings how long do we want them to last? Would we be OK with a contractor that only made a structure good for fifteen years? Would we be satisfied if need to do it all over again in thirty years? If the place is crumbling a few years after construction would we feel that it all was a waste?
Now the church isn’t really in the building construction business (thought we do have to do that from time to time), we are more into church building. That is building up the body of Christ. How long do we want what we build to last?
The Chinese have a proverb, If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain; if ten years, grow trees; if a hundred years, grow people. In essence, this tells us for long lasting things you must put your effort not into things but into people
When it comes to our efforts what are we trying to grow? Funds for the next year? A program to last for a semester? Ways to maintain a physical campus? Or are we thinking about how we can build up each other?
Let’s make sure we are investing in the right things if we want the church to be around for a good long while!
Barry Haynes
Hope, AR