I love the expression “one thing that amazes me about common sense is how uncommon it is”. I don’t know who coined that expression first, but I think of it often (especially when dealing with my kids). When I first studied architecture in the 70’s, the oil crisis was fresh in the minds of most Americans. As a result, new visions developed for passive solar designs and earth sheltered homes. After the crisis ended, the country went back to largely wasteful ways of using energy. Rising costs have again brought energy-use reduction to the minds of people in America. Coupled with concerns about global warming, reduction is here to say.
I am glad to see the end of the Hummer line – but not because of its carbon footprint. Continue Reading »
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“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” ~Matthew 11:28
Are you struggling to make ends meet? Do you wonder if you will survive these difficult times? Do you want to know how this will all turn out? Well, I just read a short book on these and many more questions I am sure we are all asking these days. It is entitled “How to Survive the Economic Meltdown” by Patrick Morely. I downloaded a PDF version from the website http://survivethemeltdown.org. I encourage you to do the same. The book is only about 100 pages, but is packed with hope during these difficult times.
The author points to several verses in the Bible which give us two profound assurances. The first – God is in charge and He has a plan. God always has a plan. Isn’t that great? He’s certainly not worried about what’s happening right now. God isn’t in a panic. That should certainly help all of us! The second – we will get through this. How can we be sure? Because God loves us so very much and His Word tells us we will get through it. Just read Isaiah, 40:12, 15, Isaiah 45:7 or Isaiah 46:4. Unfortunately, the only way to get through it is to go through it. There are no shortcuts or ways to avoid this mess. And there’s no way to know how long it will last. Only God has that answer. So we need to have faith and stay close to God.
The book offers practical, spiritual and financial strategies for these times. It has examples from the author’s own life as well as other stories. And it is filled with verses from God’s own Word that I found uplifting. It made me think about whether I’m really doing life God’s way or am I doing it my way and the world’s way. Am I staying close to God or withdrawing from Him? Do I realize and appreciate how much God loves ME?!
So I’d be interested in knowing – How have you survived so far? Are you looking at things a different way now? Is your relationship with God growing because of our current times? Does knowing that God always has a plan change the way you think?
Blessings to all as you find your way through another week.
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Todd and I spent this past Valentine’s Day weekend meeting with a wonderful church in the city of Montreal. Its official name is the Italian Pentecostal Christian Church of Montreal, but it is better known as Fabre St Pentecostal church. Founded in 1920, this church has been faithfully serving the Italian- Canadian community of Montreal. I must admit that I’m not sure that I have met a more welcoming and hospitable church with a heartfelt desire to operate with excellence. They accepted us as family, and I have no doubt that I gained a few pounds over the weekend.
What we experienced in our time there was similar to experiences that we have had with many churches in the past. This is a church with multiple thriving ministries, a dedicated congregation, and a well defined vision for future growth, but it is contained within a facility that negatively shapes their ministries, and inaccurately defines them as a church. Most churches tend to grow accidentally in a painful reaction to desperate needs over time. Since the solution is an intense reaction to a single need the solution is usually damaging. In this way many church facilities grow like bacteria in what appears to be a random fashion. It is difficult to fault the church for growing in this fashion. In the case of Fabre they are contained by an inner city neighborhood of row homes, and their growth included the purchase of many of the neighboring homes, which they then modified for ministry use. Since these homes were not designed for church use, they are certainly not an ideal place to grow ministries. The rooms are small; there are multiple level changes and circuitous and narrow halls to navigate. All of this can be quite intimidating to a first time visitor. But converting existing construction is also a wise use of limited funds.
Continue Reading »
Tags: Church
Posted in Growth Planning, Implementation Planning, Ministry Planning, Random Thoughts | No Comments »
These words, taken from the website and membership material of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship in Hamilton, Bermuda, served as a guiding light in their selection of an architect for their new facility. Prayer has the highest value in the formation of that church, and they wanted an architect that shared that value; not just a Christian architect or even a church-design specialist, but an architect that prays. This is my account of how the Lord connected us with Cornerstone.
The Lord often guides through what I call “Divine coincidences”. These are incidents that cause most people to exclaim “what a coincidence!” while causing people of faith to proclaim Divine involvement. This, from the faith-perspective, is when seemingly unrelated circumstances and situations coincide in such a way as to facilitate God’s plans and purposes. Tuesday, April 21, 2009 was a day of such “coincidences”.
For years, WPH has had office prayer on Tuesday mornings. Attendance and participation is voluntary yet paid-for. We started this in 1999 to connect our employees spiritually, to remind us of who we are serving in our work, and, practically, to ask God for His help in the many ways that we need it. We pray for the churches we work with, pray for pastors and building committee members, pray for employee’s family members and many other things. And it was on a Tuesday morning at 9:30 – just as we were about to start office prayer – that the building committee chair for Cornerstone Bible Fellowship called. Continue Reading »
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