Nov 18

Written by: Inside Out
11/18/2009 3:05 PM

Last Sunday before the first service, some congregation members expressed to me their concern that we haven't made a concerted effort to raise money for a new building. Since our time at Labay Middle School expires in the summer of 2011, this was a concern to them and probably to some of you. As I talked with them, I began to realize that I haven't done a very good job of communicating the progress we are making as a church and how the building fits into the plans. That's what this blog entry is about.

As you know, we have a vision to become an inside-out church, making disciples by serving our community.   And we are in a time of exploration to figure out what this vision looks like in practical ways. Currently we are volunteering at Cypress Assistance Ministry, doing research in the community, and we have recently formed a relationship with Tipps Elementary School to work with them to improve the lives of its students. Many of you are involved in these various projects.

The more discussions we have with the school district officials and the more research we do in the community, the more it looks like there are some real long-term opportunities for ministry with the children and their families, not only of Tipps Elementary, but similar children and families in the area. The school district continues to open doors to us, sharing information and a desire to work with us. A small symbolic example of this is that Tipps Elementary has said they wish to put a display case in their lobby and place some of our church things and information in it. I don't want to make too much of it, but it seems highly significant that a public school wishes to display church materials. There is a real desire in the community to partner with us. As we pray through these things, God appears to be opening many doors for us and other churches within the school district.

In our elder meetings we have begun to talk about our next steps. The elders have created a task force to propose the creation of a separate nonprofit organization for our future community ministries. The nonprofit would go hand-and-glove with our congregation, having the same vision. Having a separate nonprofit protects the church and allows for wider a Kingdom focus and an increased community participation. Community resources through time, talents, and finances become more readily available for the ministry.

That, of course, is where the building comes in. Those of you who have been a part of building churches in the past know how it normally works. The congregation raises as much money as it can internally, and then it borrows the rest as needed. Under that model congregations often carry a large long-term debt.

But with our vision things are very different. We are not just interested in building a church to meet our needs. We are interested in building a community development center to meet the needs of the community, with the church housed within it. For that reason it will be possible for us to gather resources from a much wider base than just within the congregation. There are foundations, philanthropists, and organizations that will give to a worthy ministry that exists to serve the community. It is my goal to obtain a building debt free.  We will still need a building fund, but it is not the sole or even best marker for our progress toward getting a building.

We aren't just dreaming these things out of the air but have been learning from other churches which are doing similar things. Some of the elders and staff have been to visit our fellow Evangelical Presbyterian church here in Houston, The City of Refuge and its nonprofit The Forge for Families. While their ministries look different from ours because they are in a different community, they have a lot of experience in how a church and a nonprofit work together to do ministry. The Forge for Families is currently constructing a new multimillion dollar facility and they are doing so debt free. Additionally, Susan Nichols, Greg, and I attended a Christian Community Development Association conference last month. It was attended by churches from all over the nation involved in community development ministries. We've seen how this idea of a congregation paired with a nonprofit can work in practical ways. This vision for God using his church to transform a community through love and service will happen. It's happening all over the nation.

Just in case you're wondering if we've forgotten about the "inside" part of our inside-out vision, we are just as committed to those core key programs that God uses to build us up from the inside: worship, children's ministry, student ministry, and small groups. Those "inside" ministries are where our staff and resources are invested. We have every intention of growing and strengthening these "inside" areas as we move forward. It's only as we grow in our love for God, that our ability to love others also grows. Inside comes first. (Matthew 22: 34-40)

So you can see, we are moving forward rapidly. I want to do a better job of keeping you informed so that you can participate and give feedback. So here's what I'm going to do to improve communication from my end.   First, I'm going back to writing weekly email updates to you. Things are moving almost as fast as they did when we were in the process of leaving Heritage, and weekly emails from me definitely made a difference. If anyone would prefer to have the updates mailed, we will certainly do that. Second, I'd like to meet with you on a regular basis so I can both listen and talk to you about questions, suggestions, and concerns you have. We have a congregational meeting coming up on Sunday December 13 at 10 am. That will be a great opportunity to share questions and thoughts. And, of course, I encourage you to contact me directly either by email (escott@lifepathHouston.com) or phone (281-855-0222).

You can probably tell I'm very excited by what God is doing among us. In a few years, I think we'll look back at this time in wonder at how quickly God took a group of spiritual refugees out of one building and put us into another one, better suited to his mission and purpose. It all boils down to what Jesus said in Matthew 6: 33 - "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Pastor Elliott

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