DAVID MCKNIGHT | PRESIDENT
I was having lunch with my pastor the other day and he was excited about the near future for our church. He explained to me he felt that our church was coming into alignment and felt some great things would be coming in the days ahead. The alignment my pastor was talking about Jesus spoke of in Matt 12:30, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Jesus called this the most important command.
My Pastor felt that our church has been seeking God’s path with their hearts for awhile. People are now turning more to prayer and serving our community. We have made some changes to better use our minds as to managing what God has given us. And we have plans to take care of and manage our strength, or physical aspect of the church. My pastor felt when all these things come into alignment we will be much more effective in our ministry.
I have experienced relationships with many churches over the past few decades. I have seen churches out of alignment in one phase or another. There are churches with fantastic physical facilities but no heart for the things of God. They are only concerned for themselves. I have seen many churches with a heart for God and a desire to serve but not use their minds wisely and throw resources away. I have seen poor leadership ruin more than one opportunity for a church. I have seen churches with a great desire to serve but no facilities that function for community service.
Can God still use these churches that are out of alignment? Of course he can. 1 Corinthians 12:9 – 10 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” God uses our weakness to show himself strong.
This does not mean that God cannot be seen through those of his that are strong. How much more can God use us when we are in alignment with him? The key in being strong is to always proclaim why we are strong, because of God’s grace!
I deal will church’s physical facilities. I can help make a facility a strength for a church because God has brought me through several things in my life in order to bring that knowledge and experience to our clients. A church’s facility is only a part of what helps a church be effective in ministry. It takes a lot more to do great things for God. When we have alignment in the heart, mind, soul and strength then we must make the most of it for the glory of God.
I am excited to see what God has in store for my church in the future. What about you and your church?