Did you ever walk by a construction site and look through a knothole in the boards that were fencing it off to see what was going on inside? If you saw the early stages of construction, it was probably “just” a big hole – nothing too interesting or exciting. And, it probably looked like nothing much was happening.
That’s a lot like a church plant (and a lot like life in general) – the early bit is all about preparing the ground for a strong foundation. It’s dirty, it’s often boring, but it’s vitally important to get it right so that the rest of the building can rise up on it’s strength.
Six months ago we launched a new church in Arundel with a vision to be a resource to our community and to share the love of God in practical ways. Since that time we’ve been building friendships, building community, and trying to help wherever we can.
In October the ladies did a Pink Ribbon Breakfast at the Arundel Hills Country Club and raised over $4,200 for breast cancer research, and on Dec. 12 we sponsored an event called “Christmas with Style” which gave 26 women in a local shelter a complete makeover (haircut, makeup, new outfit) and a celebration bar-b-que. Small stuff in the global scheme of things, but big stuff for us!
What are we building? We’re building a church that has a heart for people coded into it’s DNA. We’re building a church which cares for others in a practical way. We’re building a church which is willing to sacrifice and work so that the Kingdom of God can be expressed in people’s lives in ways that make a difference.
The big “hole in the ground” might not look like much at the moment, but keep watching… something amazing will grow out of it!
