It’s Not a Temple, But…
When a congregation decides to build a church building, they are taking on a huge responsibility. In our culture, we are so used to church buildings that we barely give them a second thought, but that meeting house is a major decision for a congregation to make. It is expensive to build or purchase. It costs quite a lot to “run” and keep up. And, without good leadership, it can become a point of contention (insert obligatory story about people fussing over the color of the carpet here).
I have been to scores of church buildings over the years. Some were very small while others were expansive. Many looked similar and some had quite unique designs. Since there is not a blueprint in Scripture for how a church building should look (nor a command to even have one), it is interesting to me to see just how different–yet similar–so many are.
But, once a congregation has been in a building for some time, we all know that it can begin to run down a bit. Some of that is natural. Because it is used by a lot of people and because it is such a large space, it can be easy to let certain things go a bit. That much is understandable to a point.
However, we often pray that we are to be stewards (managers) of all that God has given us. If that is true, then are we not to manage this building where His people meet?
Now, I am not suggesting we make the building a temple. It is not to be the focus of our entire budget. We don’t have to worship in a golden cathedral. A building may be quite plain and simple, yet still be maintained well.
What I am suggesting is that the concept of doing all things “as unto the Lord” applies to our church buildings! Why would we let the place where we meet to worship Him and the place where we hope to invite others to come to know Him fall into disrepair? Should we not do all we can to keep it clean, neat, and safe?
And it doesn’t mean a congregation has to spent boatloads of money to have modern decorations all the time. It just means some simple things that any congregation can do. Here are a few things that would cost almost nothing:
- Pick up litter…everywhere. Have you ever walked all through your building? You might be surprised what some of the hallways or classrooms look like.
- Sweep walkways and parking lots. Make the building look more welcoming for no money at all.
- Touch up paint. You don’t have to repaint everything, but so many buildings have nicks and scratches that could be remedied with just a quick day of work.
- Make sure all the lights work. Bulbs are cheap. Get things bright!
- Clean classrooms. I know, you may have to throw away that poster of Esther from 1947, but it is so faded that you can’t tell if it’s Esther anymore anyway! Make those classrooms shine for the children.
Are there other things that can be done? Sure, and some do cost money. But regularly going around and making simple changes shows that this place–and, more importantly, what happens in this place–really matters. It is not “just a building.” This is where we want people to be drawn closer to the Lord!
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
