The church used to be the central place of local fellowship for the whole town. Most everyone spent their time around the church either to hear announced news or to celebrate some sort of event. Much time, effort, and money was poured into the church and its upkeep. But, over time the church and culture surrounding it no longer mingled the way it had once done. The church became a separate entity, and society became detached from its life support. Even though our steeples have gotten more noticeable and our pews have gotten longer, society does not attend these chapels for a social gathering. The conventional church building is no longer viewed as a place of gathering and fellowship for the community. Because the church building is seldom used nowadays, it is very hard to discern the amount of effort and support that church buildings should receive.
There are many good reasons to develop a facility that’s state of the art and also attractive. There are many times that this money goes wasted. I can’t judge how and what our money is used for. I do know that churches and their building funds will never be satisfied. Then again neither will all the poor be satisfied. When confronted with the decision to improve the furniture in your church or to feed the hungry, feeding the hungry is not the easiest decision. You won’t get a title deed, you don’t get to use it, neither are the homeless attractive to look at. I personally think, that feeding the hungry is a mission that’s a little closer to Jesus. During Jesus’ ministry, I don’t remember one time putting a roof over somebody’s head, but I do remember him feeding many people. I know that buildings do serve some needs, but outside of Sunday service it is not a place of local fellowship, and neither is it a public place for the community.
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