Our Only Incorporation is the Body of Christ. Free Christians and Churches.
Free Your Church of Property
Another way to put this is to say, "Don't build buildings, build the kingdom".
There is a growing movement of churches that are realizing that chu.... This is a truly freeing act of faith. As a free church, it is closer to Jesus' vision of the church to rent the space you need to worship so that you can dedicate everything else to the mission of building the body of Christ.
The question is, do churches of brick and mortar prevent or limit our ability to be a church of flesh and blood?
Jesus didn't say, "Where you build a dedicated space for worship, there I am". He said, "Where two or three of you are gathered together in my name, there I am in your midst".
Free churches are just that, free -- unencumbered by mortgages, debt, and the finite size and long term inflexibility of owned property. Churches should be cash economies, not vehicles to build equity.
Jesus said, "Don't store up treasure on earth...store up treasure in heaven".
When churches refuse to walk in the tradition of having a "building fund" and managing a real estate portfolio, they free up their members time to reach out, walk their faith with others, and spend their time and resources on introducing more people to Jesus Christ our God.
There is a growing movement of churches that are realizing that chu.... This is a truly freeing act of faith. As a free church, it is closer to Jesus' vision of the church to rent the space you need to worship so that you can dedicate everything else to the mission of building the body of Christ.
The question is, do churches of brick and mortar prevent or limit our ability to be a church of flesh and blood?
Jesus didn't say, "Where you build a dedicated space for worship, there I am". He said, "Where two or three of you are gathered together in my name, there I am in your midst".
Free churches are just that, free -- unencumbered by mortgages, debt, and the finite size and long term inflexibility of owned property. Churches should be cash economies, not vehicles to build equity.
Jesus said, "Don't store up treasure on earth...store up treasure in heaven".
When churches refuse to walk in the tradition of having a "building fund" and managing a real estate portfolio, they free up their members time to reach out, walk their faith with others, and spend their time and resources on introducing more people to Jesus Christ our God.
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Comment by Kathleen Simons on September 25, 2009 at 12:08pm -
As I was reading this message and the related ones about the various churches investing in people instead of buildings, it brought The Parable of the Rich Fool strongly to my mind. And the follow up - "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Here is the NIV version:
13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Worry
22Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifeb? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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