Master Plan Proposal
As I have read through my daily Bible readings over the past couple of weeks, I have been especially drawn to the passages in 1 and 2 Chronicles relating to the building of God's temple. The vision, preparation, financing, and construction of the Lord's house were immense and challenging. Indeed, it was a God-sized project first envisioned by King David and carried out by his son, Solomon. The temple became the primary center of worship and testified of the One True God of Israel.
I was attracted to this story primarily because of my service on the Worship Center Building Committee and because of the committee's recent Master Plan proposal. Now don’t get me wrong here. I’m not pretending in any way that our work is a “temple” building effort. The New Testament teaches that God’s Spirit resides within each believer and empowers him/her to fulfill a divinely ordained purpose. No present-day building can be equated with the Old Testament temple in design or function.
Yet, the more I read of the story, the more I realized that the construction of the temple represented a new work in the life of Israel. God was allowing His people to build a permanent structure that would express his glory to the nations. It was a moment of excitement; it was a moment of opportunity.
In a similar manner, I believe that we are on the verge of a historic moment within our church. Not because of the new buildings themselves but because of the renewed sense of ministry within those buildings. When the Worship Center Building Committee was formed well over a year ago, most all of us entered our service with preconceived ideas about our finished product. However, God’s Spirit swept over us as a committee and transformed our thinking and our vision. We visited other churches, sought professional assistance, gathered staff input, and heard from various focus groups within our spiritual family. Through this process, the Lord has challenged us and refined our plan. And in the end, we believed that our proposal must intentionally reach the next generation for Christ. If you take a serious look at the plan, you will find evidence of that determination. We have suggested that we spend our capital not on ourselves but on those who are not yet here. In other words, we are investing our resources in way that will reach a future Zachary.
We recognize that this is a bold step for our church, one that can only be achieved through absolute faith. But bold steps have always been necessary for God’s people to advance His cause! (Consider our own efforts in building the present-day Education Building and Family Life Center.) We have no doubt that the recommended Master Plan’s implications will place us on the best footing to win our children and grandchildren to the Lord. Instead of becoming a Christian monument in Zachary, we will continue the Christ movement in Zachary.
I encourage you to get a copy of the Master Plan Presentation through the church office or through this website (click here). In addition, you may receive a special mailing in the coming days concerning the recommendation. Members of the committee welcome your input and will be available for questions/comments at selected times in the Large Atrium over the next couple of Sundays (July 25 and August 1). May we pray and seek God’s will as we advance His kingdom here in Zachary!
Webmaster Notes: The Master Plan Presentation is posted in PDF format. If you need the free Adobe Reader, click here. Also, this is a large file (5.78 MB) and may take a little while to download.