Church planting is a tough calling even under ideal circumstances. Starting this journey without a lot of support has been expectedly difficult. However, I am always amazed at how unexpected opportunities have crossed my path. Here is the story of one of those:
I got a message on facebook yesterday. It was from a pastor that I had never talked with before asking me if I knew of anyone interested in sharing a meeting space in Rancho Cordova–the exact urban ‘burb I have been praying that God would place us. I followed up and last night I got a tour of the facility. It’s in an office building with a 2,000 sq ft gathering place complete with chairs and audio/visual equipment provided. There are two offices–one for me and one for the other pastor. A nursery room, a Sunday school room and a large space for after-service fellowship. This breaks down to something like $0.33/sq ft. The other church would use it Sunday night, but we could use it Saturday night or Sunday morning. The building is directly across the street from local high school and therefore would be very visible within the community. It is already zoned properly as a church.
The lease is being negotiated with the owner directly, so the terms are very relaxed and less rigid than if it were a leasing company.
At a glance, this space is ideal for us moving forward. We wouldn’t have to be portable anymore and we could finally start going into the community and connecting people in fellowship with Christ. Only problem is we are currently six people targeting a generation of twentysomethings that really don’t give much of their finances for the sake of the gospel. At around $1,150/month this is seriously cheap for worship space, but it is probably out of reach for us at this point. I don’t even know who to turn to initiate the power of “You have not, because you ask not.” Mostly out of frustration because I see this opportunity not falling into place for us at Revolution Church Sacramento, I posted a jokingly sarcastic tweet on twitter:
anyone have an extra $14,400 laying around they’d want to contribute to fund a meeting place for 1 yr for Revolution Church Sacramento? lol
A few minutes later I get a message from a great friend named David Meysembourg letting me know he is praying for this. Then, he sends me a message with a suggestion of who might be able to help out. A few minutes after that I see this in the twitterstream:
@daveingland God is the God of the impossible. $14,400 is nothing. // Brothers in Christ give what you have in Christ. Prayers or Prosperity
I was completely stunned at the faith of Matt Taylor and how he just spoke boldly into my life at a moment when my faith was incredibly weak. He is absolutely correct and I know that in the scope of how I have seen God move, $14,400 (the amount I need to show as available to confirm a one year lease on the space) is ridiculously small. I’ve heard stories of $10 million in a single weekend from the offerings of a church. However, I am at a place of uncertainty and weakness not knowing who to call or how to get $14,400 in the next two days. I am at a place where God really can’t use me when I have such doubt and negative thoughts.
Thanks to my friends who stood up for me in boldness, I am going to see what results from applying some effort and trusting God that if it is meant for us right now I won’t worry. Even if no financial support for this building comes in and we have to stand by and watch another ministry take it instead, I will praise for the faith and action of my friends via twitter to jump-start me as well as praise that God put a ministry in the space that will do great things in the name of Jesus. I’m just holding out hope that it may be us doing that great work in that great space…in the name of Jesus :)
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Dave,
I praise Jesus that he used me to bless you. Please let me know the outcome of your desires.
May God display his power in your need. He is the great provider. And may his Spirit fill you and all in you ministry to do a mighty work beyond what you ever imagined.
In Christ,
Matt
Dave: gotta comment here as we had an identical situation 1.5 yrs ago, down to the dollar amount and group of people. I hope you guys fare better than we did tho. I still wonder if our decision to turn down a $1000 space per month (which we couldn’t afford anyhow) was a make it / break it thing. On the one hand it would’ve made things impossible to bear with that amount hanging over us. On the other hand, what’s $14K? No biggie, really.
I think the bigger concern however is how we can grow our core group to a stable catalytic number…