Pastorgraphs: "Bringing Down the Roof"
Over
the past ten days, our building has been a chameleon of sorts. In
addition to our regular 15-hour a day schedule, seven days a week, we
have been a temporary wellness clinic where 60 people received
potentially life-saving health screenings. Then we became host to a
Career Fair where three dozen employers greeted standing room only
crowds of job seekers. I estimate over 300 people came during that
three hour event.There are few church buildings anywhere used as many hours and by as many people as ours. From the time the Choice School (satellite high school classroom) teachers and students begin arriving each weekday at 6:30 a.m., until the last church, support group or charity leaves at 9:30 p.m., almost every square inch of our facilities gets used practically every day.
Someone said to me recently, “Don’t you think we are wearing this old building out?” My reply was “Lord, I sure hope so!”
Church buildings go through life cycles: birth, maturity, decline and death. It will happen whether the church is used constantly or is locked up like a museum that is open for just one hour on Sunday morning. Sure, the more wear and tear that comes from constant use may hasten the decline. But in the final analysis, is it better to keep a pristine shrine for the elect, or a hospital for the wounded and hurting? I think you know my philosophy.
Having a reverence for a church building is good, to a point. But if the building becomes the focus of our worship and service, it becomes idolatry. Even Jesus warned that the magnificent Jerusalem Temple would be torn down. He taught we should worship God, not buildings.
The Evangelical United Brethren built our sanctuary and east wing in 1951 and the education building and basement in 1957. That means most of our 25,000 square foot building has near-seventy year-old plumbing, wiring, and infrastructure. Hardly a week goes by when something doesn’t break or require repair. Often it requires bringing what broke up to current code requirements. In California, that is very expensive!
A few months back, I read the story of Capitol Street United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. I’ve been in Capitol Street UMC many times. It was the home church of Bishop Mary Ann Swenson who was my bishop for twelve years here in Southern California. Not only did Capitol Street have a magnificent building and an abundant church roll, including many of the city and state’s top leaders, it was a beacon in its community. But as the community changed, membership declined, and so did the building.
When the dwindling membership could no longer maintain the facilities, the grand old church closed and became a community service center. But the charity that took over the facilities was not able to maintain the building either. Sadly, the roof literally fell in.
Is this a cautionary tale for Christ Ministry Center? Yes and no. We have a federation of a dozen churches and charities that provide just enough funds to not only keep the doors open, lights on and bills paid, but to make (so far) the deferred maintenance necessary to keep the infrastructure healthy.
The Rev. Johnsie Cogman of Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Washington, DC, recently shared how she dealt with an historic church whose roof was literally falling in. First, she put a notice in the worship bulletin and church newsletter that the church roof needed replacement. That clarion call produce a loud yawn and no money to fix the problem.
Then she re-framed the request, aligning the facility repairs with the mission of the church.
“Roof Replacement. We have been part of this community for over 200 years, providing a beautiful place to gather to worship God, and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Our building has served as a gathering place for our fellowship time as well as for neighborhood groups. We have an opportunity to continue serving our community as we improve our facility with a new roof. Thank you for showing God’s love to God’s people.”
She concluded, “We tied the facilities to our mission, which in turn reignited the excitement and pride of the congregants.”
We can’t be blind to the future. Sooner or later, as with all buildings, our roof will begin to fall in. However, over the past dozen years, every time there is a major facility problem, the Lord finds a way to get it fixed; sometimes through near miraculous means. Until then, the only numbers I’m interested in are how many people we can help and serve until death comes to our grand old building. And, as always, if we do our part, I have faith “The Lord will provide!”
For Christ’s sake,
Bill Jenkins
Photo credit: Courtesy Preservation in Mississippi
From the Quote Garden:
A group touring Westminster Abbey in London heard the guide list the famous people buried within its walls. During a momentary silence a little old lady's voice blurted out loud and clear, ''Anybody been saved here lately?''
A group touring Westminster Abbey in London heard the guide list the famous people buried within its walls. During a momentary silence a little old lady's voice blurted out loud and clear, ''Anybody been saved here lately?''
~ Anonymous ~
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