Well, we are 4 weeks into our local tour here in Aspen while our new facility is being built so I thought I would write down a few lessons I am learning along the way. We kicked off our local tour by holding Sunday church at the Aspen District Theater then on to Harris Hall and then to the Wheeler Opera House. This last Sunday we were back at the Aspen District Theater and we will be settling down there for the next several weeks before we start moving around again. So, here are a few lessons that I think we all should be in the process of learning:
A Building is not the Body
We must never measure the health of the church community by the physical facility. This is a challenge to our American enterprising spirit. Ephesians 2:22 says, “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
A Building is a Blessing but can be a Barrier
We must never let our building define us or contain us. We are called to be always reaching out into our city and beyond and our building is a barrier if it keeps us from reaching out in new and creative ways.
A Building can enhance the Spiritual Environment
One of the blessings of a building is that it provides a place for the collective creativity of the Body to create beautiful places that enhance ministry.
Change exposes Weaknesses
Change is good because it exposes weaknesses in the life of the church that would go unseen without having to pick up and do the hard work of being a mobile church for awhile.
Change is necessary for Growth
Without change growth is impossible. One of the huge blessings of being on tour for awhile is that it gives leadership a chance to re-evaluate everything we do and to get out in the community with fresh eyes.
Change must be the result of vision
Change for change sake can be destructive. Change should result from God-given vision and if it is it will foster a beautiful sense of unity among the Body.
We often forget that when we start to follow Jesus that we are adopted into the family of God and that the only way we can thrive in our relationship with Jesus is to be a vital part of his local church wherever we live. 1 Corinthians 12:13 says it beautifully, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
We are really excited to move into our new facility in June, but we might just have to go on a local tour every year so we can remember that the building is not the Body and that are mission should always be reaching out.
2014 Tour dates coming soon
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