More planning…

Any successful endeavor involves some degree of planning. I had no idea how much would go into trying to build a church.

Several years ago, my family was involved in starting a church in Lancaster PA. After a couple of years of portable existence our move to permanence took the form of a remodeling project. A former light industrial/warehouse building was transformed into a small church facility. We gutted the building down to the floor, walls and roof and started over. It all seems kind of spontaneous now looking back. We had one appearance in front of the municipal council to get permission. We submitting building plans to get a permit and we were good to go. We tackled a lot of issues on the fly, including raising money to cover expenses. Five months later we were holding services in the building (and rapidly outgrowing it).

The scope of this project is exponentially larger. We have site planning that needs to be done. We have neighborhood and city planning meetings to attend. We will stand before city council at least two more times before we will be able to submit drawings to get building permits. We have already planned and executed one capital campaign, and are preparing for a second.

Christians often speak of the activity of God in terms of planning. We reference a “plan of salvation” and casually comment on God’s “plan for his Kingdom.” On a more personal level we evaluate God’s “plan for our lives”. If the planning we do is directly related to how much we care about a project’s outcome, how much does this planning by God say about his concern for this planet, His Kingdom and our lives?

The exciting part of all of this is getting to plan for our growth as a church. Careful planning can help Discovery maximize the opportunities that will come as a result of a permanent location. Thoughtful planning will help the church retain its identity, vision and values when it changes locations. Prayerful planning now will help us be in alignment with God’s plan.

That is a reassuring thought.