Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“More Than A Building”
Categories: THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH, WORSHIPWhat can a church do when they outgrow their building but do not have the money to build or buy a new one?Sincerely,
Busting At The Seams
Dear Busting At The Seams,
What a wonderful problem! Church buildings have always been an expediency for a local church to assemble and fulfill the commands found in Heb 10:24-25, Acts 20:7, and 1 Cor 16:1-2, etc. The word ‘expedient’ means ‘convenient or practical’. The command for the church to assemble has to be fulfilled somehow, and church buildings have often been a convenient and practical way to do that… but in your situation, the building is no longer practical or convenient.
A congregation doesn’t need to own a building to be faithful. Renting out a school gymnasium, movie theater, or other facility is just as Scriptural and in your case, probably more expedient since it is cheaper than purchasing a facility. The issue of where and how to meet is a matter of wisdom, not right or wrong. A congregation that is getting too big for the space they are in can do everything from starting a second congregation in a nearby town to renting a larger facility for Sunday worship. It is just a matter of what is the most convenient and practical solution to a problem that is really a blessing.
