“Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?" (1 Chronicles 29:5b)
The signs are all around us. Our membership has doubled in the last few years to almost 50 (yes, TBC are not a mega-church, not by a long shot!). There are also more Christians attending seeking to worship according to the regulative principle and to listen to Reformed teaching. Home Bible studies have multiplied as we are on the verge of recognizing a third pastor. Consequently, there is also an increase in the number of visitors. We can feel the wonderful work of the Spirit in our midst.
And so we have this “nice” problem in our midst. We are crammed every Sunday in our small meeting place. There is hardly any space between attenders. We fear that visitors may feel unwanted as we have to re-arrange sitting to accommodate even just one small family who visits.
This has made us realize we need a bigger worship hall. In the Old Testament it is noteworthy that the people of God were involved in building both the tabernacle (Exodus 25 and following) as well as the temple (1 Chronicles 29). In both cases, the Israelites offered their precious metals and jewelry to build a house of worship.
This made us reflect on the wider challenge of sacrificial giving among the people of God. In the New Testament we read in Acts 2 how the early Christians were willing to sell even their properties to meet the needs of their brethren. Just as amazing were the Macedonian churches who begged to be part of helping Christians in need, giving beyond their means (2 Corinthians 8).
And so we are challenging each other to first consecrate ourselves to God and then discern how we can support this project. Our goal is to build a worship hall (by 2014, DV) adjacent to our current one so we can double our seating capacity.
Join us in praying that God will grant success to this undertaking.
"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)