When we took this church we inherited a structually damaged building infested with mold. In addition to the physical aspects of the church, there was the history of pastors coming and going. We were the 6th pastors in 10 years! There was moral failure, bad community relations (preachers angry and cussing at the town softball games!), preachers who would only stay 3-4 months, it goes on and on!! I remember one time hearing a person from the community say it would be better to put a match to our building than to have to walk inside it!! Wow, now that's an insult!!We have been here for 8 years now and have purchased land and built a new building. Now that
we are established in a different building with a different name, I have to sit back and wonder if it would not have been better to just close that nasty building. We had few members to begin with, we could have met somewhere else. It wouldn't have been the best situation, but neither was that mold infested building!!
we are established in a different building with a different name, I have to sit back and wonder if it would not have been better to just close that nasty building. We had few members to begin with, we could have met somewhere else. It wouldn't have been the best situation, but neither was that mold infested building!!
We chose to change the name of the church hoping the name change would help us in leaving the history behind at the old building and start fresh. A new name and a brand new building. Because we live in a small community it has been really difficult not to be viewed as "the Assembly of God church". We've done some marketing and have attempted "branding" with our new logo. But we haven't seen the results that you are supposed to see from that type of strategy.
So bringing it back around, I have to wonder if things would be different if we just would have closed the door of the church and let it die in the eyes of the public. Officially dead. Then started the building project and opened a new church with a new name (which would have equaled a church plant!). But no! Here we sit with the past still attached and we are still striving to overcome that past and prove to our community that we are not leaving, we have integrity, and God is moving.
Once again I leave you with pray, pray, pray, it's the most important thing you can do!!
1 comment:
I think getting the sign up will make a difference. It will be interesting to see if it does.
Post a Comment