If you study the building initiatives in scripture, the entire nation of Israel was involved in every project. Every member of the nation played an important, personal role.
Why is this important? Here’s a hint: it’s not about the money.
Many times when I begin to visit with a pastor about the journey of a construction project, one of the first things I hear is, “I don’t like raising money.” Statements like those are actually exciting to me because I love to share what we’ve come to learn about funding God’s vision.
First and foremost, if you have a clear vision from God about expanding or building, it’s not your responsibility to raise money… it’s His!
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul helps us understand that giving to special needs—like offerings for the poor, offerings for other ministries, offerings for mission work, offerings for a guest speaker, or offerings for a building project—is not about what the people had, it is about what they were willing to allow God to provide through them. In 2 Corinthians Paul says something very profound.
“Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord…” (2 Corinthians 8:1-3, emphasis added)
Do you see it? These people who were poor, broke, and suffering in affliction, by the grace of God, gave beyond their ability. How? They made themselves available to God, they committed themselves to God and trusted Him to provide through them what was needed for His church.
God is about to give you the opportunity to invite people on a faith journey. If you will lead them, God will do things in and through the lives of your church members like they or you have never seen.
Your responsibility is to share the vision (when it is fully ready and complete) with your people.
Teach them the truth about trusting God to use them and let God raise the funds. Moses shared the vision, Nehemiah shared what God put in his heart, David told of the plans for a temple and in every instance, “Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments.” (Exodus 35:21)
Who stirred the hearts and moved their spirits? God did.
When it comes to your church’s vision, and the unified work that it takes to see a vision come to pass, here is my heart: I don’t want the people in your church to miss out on the growth that will come from boldly seeking—and following—God.
Don’t be quick to cast vision to raise money. Take a Biblical journey with your people, follow the model provided in 1 Chronicles, and allow time to teach your people about stewardship, faith, and obedience. Help guide them on how to set aside time to hear from the Lord. And allow them time to seek what God would show them. (In other words, teach them to walk with God, whether you’re pondering a facility expansion or not.)
If you look at your building project as an opportunity for God to do a miraculous work and change people’s lives, versus a burden of decisions, fund raising, and responsibility to make it happen, the journey will be a joy! You will get to see not only a new building but spiritual fruit in your congregation. As I often say to pastors when they are considering a project:
“You need to understand the basic principle: it’s not what God wants from your people. It’s what He wants for your people. If you take them on this journey and let God do what God does, your church will be changed for the better through this process.”
God gives seed to the sower.
A Spiritual Journey
Planning and building a facility should be a spiritual journey that should line up with the Biblical model.
This process to plan biblical funding will take at least three months. There will be a time of selecting leaders, training leaders, and preparing the materials to cast vision. During this time, there will be some individual meetings with high-capacity donors and key leaders or influencers. These meetings are very strategic and important. Do not attempt these meetings without wise counsel of your consultant.
I have observed high-capacity givers make a commitment well below what they could have done when they were approached too early, or not given the right information at the right time—or asked too quickly to make a gift.
In sharing vision it’s never about the what but the why. A clear vision, a clear need, and an invitation to join God at work will always yield more fruit both in a financial gift and spiritual growth of the giver. This is not a man-made strategy. It’s biblical.
Take each step on the path and continue to seek the leadership of The Holy Spirit to guide you at each turn. With the wisdom of counselors around you God will direct your steps and lead you to a successful and fully funded project.
Rodney C. James is the founder and president of Master’s Plan Church Design & Construction, www.MPChurchdesignbuild.com. With over 20 years of pastoral experience and with hundreds of successful construction projects delivered on vision and on budget, Rodney and his team help pastors and churches across the nation design, renovate, expand, and build ministry facilities. This article is adapted from Rodney’s new book, The Master’s Plan for Church Design & Construction.
