Category Archives: Facilities

Managing church facilities well demands we pull on the power of God’s grace. From the frustrations of minor inconsideration to unfulfilled pledges to misaligned focus and priorities to churches splitting because of building issues, so much can go wrong when it comes to something as mundane as the building in which we meet. God’s grace gives us the power to rise above the pettiness, pride, and discontent. God’s grace empowers us to keep relationships primary. . . . Continue reading Management of Facilities Requires Grace→

We’ve already looked at how God’s grace provides us with the power to rise above the frustrations that can come from obstacles that get in our way when managing facilities. Sometimes the problem is internal, though, within the leader, maybe even within the Body as a whole. We’re talking about attitudes that surface when we begin to compare or compete. . . . Continue reading Grace Needed for Attitudes about Church Facilities→

During the Old Testament times, God dwelt among His people in specific places at particular times. . . .

Today God dwells within His people. Because His Holy Spirit live in us, as we will see in the next post, the place we worship isn’t that important. . . . Continue reading The Building Isn’t Enough→

So often the Church of today gets equated with the physical house of worship. We use phrases like, “I’m going to church” signifying the place. We can put a lot of time and money into maintaining our buildings. Yet, God’s word puts emphasis on the spiritual house of worship — us, His people. . . . Continue reading Spiritual versus Physical House of Worship→

What’s it going to take for the Church to be viewed as more than the building in which we meet? Perhaps if people saw the transforming power of the Spirit at work in and through us, they couldn’t help but look beyond the physical structure. They would see that . . . Continue reading Transforming Work of the Spirit, Not the Building→

King David of the Old Testament had it in his heart “to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God” but God wanted his son, Solomon, to build it instead, telling him, “You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood” (2 Chron. 22:7-9). Elsewhere we read how the temple that was eventually built was called by His name. It was a means of proclaiming who God was, bearing His glory.

Because this references a particular time, place, and people, we, as the Church, are not expected to use it as an exact model for our facilities but there may be some principles we can glean. Certainly in church building projects, we should want to . . . Continue reading Building Reflect the Glory of His Name?→

Many of us know the account of Jesus entering the temple courts, overturning tables, and driving out buyers and sellers. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers.’” (Matt.21:13)

What was Jesus Referring to as a House of Prayer? . . . Continue reading A House of Prayer?→

When Jesus referred to a house of prayer in Matthew 21:13, He meant the Jewish temple, a literal, physical place. Today, as the Church, all who put their trust in Jesus, “are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). God, through His Spirit, dwells within us. Wherever we meet together, therefore, by inference could be considered a house of prayer. So, what does that mean? What does it look like? . . . Continue reading When a Church is Truly a House of Prayer→

First impressions matter. But, is it necessary to have spectacular facilities to attract people? The early New Testament church didn’t have the kind of facilities often used today. Yet, they were “praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Their lives communicated life in Christ. So today, the building is simply where we meet. We, His people who have new life because of the Resurrected Lord, are the true Church. But, that doesn’t mean we ignore the place we meet. How much better when a consistency exists in all we do as His Church. Even the building can reflect the newness of the resurrection to a degree. . . . Continue reading Building Reflect the Newness of the Resurrection?→