A Tool of the Local Church

by Daniel Post

“So, you have been here in St-Quentin for a while, does your church have a building?” This was an honest question by a retired French medical doctor in our little town. We were at a meeting the city organized at the public library to welcome newcomers. I appreciated the conversation, but when I told him “No, not yet,” he was pretty much done and went on to talk to someone else. The point was taken, and I made a mental note. At the time, our church was meeting in the same conference room at the library. That was the second of three places for us, after starting in our house.

Unlike in some parts of the world, the mentality in North America is that a church should have its own building. I often tell our folks that “Our church is not a building, it is people, the building is a tool to help our church reach people.” In this sense the church building becomes a tool. 

After years of prayer and through the generosity of God’s people, we were able to buy the little building we had rented for seven years. My prayer is that our town will see our church as a lighthouse for the Truth and a place to find help. I would like to share three areas through which I believe our building can be a tool to help reach people.

STABILITY—It is a blessing to not have to worry about the next place to meet as choices are limited in our town. People see that the church is striving to be established.

LONGEVITY—Investing in a building is a good start to having longevity in the place where God has called His servants. We pray that Grace Baptist Church will be a lighthouse for generations to come.

COMMUNITY—We feel like we are now even more part of the community since the purchase of the building. It is located on Main Street and has two big lots that connect to the adjacent street. It used to be a gym called the Dome and has carried that name for years. Everyone knows where “the Dome” is located. I cannot count how many times I have heard “So you are the one who bought the Dome.” We look forward to the day when it will be known as “the Grace Baptist Church”—a lighthouse where the Truth is preached and a place where people are helped.

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