Over the months as our new building was being constructed, I often found myself walking around the site after the workers had gone home for the day, stepping over steel beams, climbing ladders, looking through holes in the walls that would eventually become windows, making my way from one invisible room to the next, imagining, and praying. I tried to hear the sounds of kids playing, of teens singing, of adults laughing, of people of all ages learning, growing, worshipping and serving. I tried to picture new people walking down the sidewalk for the first time. As I imagined and prayed, I became excited - and burdened. Excited over the potential of this facility at this location being used by the Lord to reach and minister to those who pass by every day; and burdened over the responsibility that we have to use this place to the max for the glory of God and the betterment of people’s lives. I prayed often, “Lord, only for your glory, only for your glory.”
 
My vision for this capital campaign is integrally tied to my vision for our new facility: “Only for your glory, Lord.”
 
While practically speaking we desire to see a significant amount of money committed and given to West Hills during these three years in order to service and reduce a substantial amount of debt, this campaign is not fundamentally about money. Nor is this campaign fundamentally about us as a church.
Rather it’s about God. It’s about God working in the lives of his people here at West Hills, in order that we might impact more lives with the truth of the gospel and the love of God in Christ.
 
It’s about God using this campaign as one tool to help transform us from being believers in Jesus Christ to being fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. It’s about God making us ever more generous, moving us to use our abundant riches and resources in such a way that more children, students and adults are reached for Christ. It’s about us trusting God to help us eliminate a substantial amount of debt in order to free up ministry to move forward into the future for the cause of Christ. It’s about God receiving all the glory, honor and praise as we hopefully see dozens and hundreds of people come into the fellowship of his family, finding West Hills to be a safe and inviting place to pursue their spiritual journey with others just like themselves.
If, at the end of three years –

• we are a more devoted people – devoted to Christ, following him more closely and serving his purposes more tangibly;
• we are a more generous people – cheerfully, eagerly and sacrificially using our resources to further the cause of Christ;
• we have reached a substantial number of people during the course of this campaign,

– then this will have been a successful campaign, and God will have received, and will continue to receive
the glory.
 
Gary