Why bother?

The reasons for permanant vs. portable are many. There is the sociological perspective that until a church is located in a physical address of their own it is "unstable" or worse, "unsuccessful". There is a stigma attached to portability, fair or otherwise that churches experience. The nomadic life was great for our spiritual ancestors like Abraham, Issac and Jacob - but God's promise to them was one of occupation, ownership and permanance. The desire for permanance is part of our spiritual heritage.

There is a financial rationale to consider. It could be argued that a church could save itself the time, energy and financial resources that are consumed by facility mortgages and maintenance costs. However, like the family that rents a home rather than buying one - the costs of living are still there. Rent is money that provides a fixed benefit for a church. You pay the landlord and get a place to meet - most commonly a few hours on a Sunday morning. You are also constrained by the limitations of the facility being rented. It was probably not designed for the things a church is trying to accomplish (even if you rent another church). Even the church fortunate enough to find a facility that can be rented for full-time use, will often find themselves constrained by zoning regulations, covenants, or architectural design from being truly at home in a rental environment.

Do not misunderstand me here - I have nothing but the greatest respect for the unsung heros of faith who set it up and tear it down every week for the sake of the Kingdom!!! These nomads have blazed trails for countless souls who have found the local school, movie theater, strip mall or warehouse as their point of entry into God's grace and peace. We need more trailblazers - not less.

All that being said, I think the most compelling reason for me to pursue the permanant has little to do with sociology or the church's balance sheet. For many churches the move to a place of their own is a journey of faith that opens us up to the possibility of the supernatural occuring in the suburbs. This is often the place where the numbers don't add up, and the forces of society seem to be insurmountable - but we look for God to show up in the loan application and the neighborhood meetings and the zoning process - and He does!

The realtor who has worked with us on our project for 5 years now has used a phrase to sign off her emails. “Stop telling God how big the storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big God is.”

I think that phrase captures it pretty well...