There are few churches in this world that have been blessed with the kind of facility we have. And, furthermore, few churches in St. Louis have been blessed with the kind of location we have. So where does that leave us? How do we respond to such incredible gifts from our Father?
Naturally, we respond with an expression of gratitude. In December, we had a wonderful celebration to acknowledge such gratitude. But I don’t think this is the kind of gratitude our Father deeply desires from us. Instead, He wants us to be inspired and convicted by the blessings He has laid upon us. We should feel energized and equipped by our new facility to reach out and engage with the culture that lies beyond the walls of West Hills. The new facility will not draw people in on its own. It is simply a resource for us to use as we reach out to a hurting world and aim to have an irresistible influence on the world around us.
Student Ministries is having a blast with the new facility. In the past three months, we’ve had a Wii bowling tournament, a Wii tennis showdown, and an unforgettable concert with Ross Christopher and Brennan Loveless. But none of these events would have served their purpose had our students not invited friends from outside the church. Jud and I constantly remind our students that the Chakula Café and Doxa are not for us. This facility is for the people in our community that have yet to feel a meaningful and genuine experience with Jesus Christ.
We talk frequently about being good stewards of our money, but let us also consider being good stewards of our building and location. Our Father would not have equipped us with such things if He did not have big plans and high expectations for us. I can't think of a better way to express our gratitude to the Father than to further His kingdom.