Breaking Ground is nothing new to Wall Highway. In 1965 when the church began, the charter members envisioned there would come a day “Breaking Ground” would be necessary. As a result 4 buildings have been built over the past 42 years of our history with the sacrificial giving of the members of Wall Highway. For example in the Building we are presently seated and enjoying the church family sacrificed and heeded the challenge at that time to double tithe for three years and indeed in three years it was completely paid for.
There are seasons in the life of a church as there are seasons in each of our lives personally. We are in our prime harvesting season so to speak, as a church that is 42 years old. I believe I am in the prime of my personal ministerial life. I am enjoying the ministry more than I ever have and my family and I are more than settled in Madison County for the reaping of the harvest to come. You have made us feel this settled ness and anticipate the future with great expectancy. Some of our Senior Adults reminisce about our humble beginnings in the “chicken house” and still others remember the Christian Life Center being built. James Cooper, a charter member remarked to me some time back when this Sanctuary was built that he prayed for the day we had 1500 in worship here. Last Sunday there were 689 in the morning worship service.
The only real way to actually determine the exact way to proceed is through and by prayer and I see that happening in the church within the planning of the Building Committee and Long Range Planning Committee. After serious prayer, the church survey of nearly a year ago and many listening sessions the church spoke and I along with others in leadership listened and took notes. Our history is rich and with the future staring us in the face on a weekly basis, the question is obvious what should we do to minister effectively to all those who desire to come to Wall Highway?
Because our Plan has been named “Breaking Ground”, some have thought we were breaking ground in the next month or two, or that perhaps some may have thought I would be announcing a date today as to when we would desire to break ground. While it is true a Conceptual Master Plan has been selected by our church, the Building Committee is working with our Architects, gathering information and projecting growth and giving trends based upon the last three years. The date has not been set for Breaking Ground but it is coming in the proper time.
The Breaking Ground Building Plan is not about Double Tithing as was suggested when this building was built. Let me say however if you want to double tithe it will be appreciated and not turned down. Breaking Ground is about equal sacrifice. Breaking Ground is a commitment on each of our parts to give as the Lord leads us to give to the future building plans over the course of the next 36 months, over and above our tithe. Equal Sacrifice, not equal giving amounts. You have heard me tell the story of the man that came to church and he had told his wife if he came to church the roof would fall in. Sure enough at the offering time a piece of the ceiling fell and hit the man on the head. Pledges in this particular church were being made and when the ceiling tile hit him he jumped up and said I’ll give $ 50,000, to the Building plan. The Pastor began to pray for the offering about to be received and he prayed something like this, “Hit him again Lord”. We will not be hitting people over the head but we are asking everyone to participate and be creative in your giving. I have already heard people express that when we start the Breaking Ground Building Plan they were going to be creative and give from resources ranging from including the church in it’s estate plans to having fundraising efforts on their own like a personal yard sale and all the proceeds go to Breaking Ground.
The church suggested in the survey answers that we seek out professional planners and lenders for planning properly. We sought advice and counsel from printed materials, Christian Stewardship experts, lenders and people of the church family. The exciting details that were birthed from these meetings are extraordinary yet simple. We believe Breaking Ground can help us continue the current trends and projections. By planning and assembling “breaking Ground” as our capital stewardship effort we are saving approximately fifty thousand dollars by not using an outside firm. I believe if you make a need known to the church God’s people they will give without using and paying someone else to do it for us. The specifics of the Breaking Ground Building Plan are that each person will be asked to commit and sacrifice but primarily “Trust the Lord” Himself by marking on a card what we are exactly trusting the Lord to help us accomplish over the next 36 months. Chapman and Sisson Architects have told us it will be eight to ten months before floor plans and design can be rendered. This gives us several months to accumulate funds. Instead of putting those funds in a savings account earning marginal interest, we can apply those funds to pay off our current loan so that we can enter the new construction phase with the outstanding loan out of the way and pursue the Vision God has given us. The commitments we are asking each of us to give to Breaking Ground will begin April 1, 2007. We are committed to paying off the outstanding loan and move forward into the future and not have the outstanding loan rolled into another loan but paid off completely as soon as possible. It will be sooner rather than later by each of our sacrificial commitments over the next 36 months.
If you have been giving to this cause then keep giving all you can because we’re going forward together as one church with one Mission, the Great Commission. Obviously, the past doesn’t go away with one broad stroke of unified Amen’s. In the short run we are making preparations to begin at least two worship services. Many of you who are leaders will be asked to help us map out the strategy working along with our staff. Your support, encouragement and giving will all be necessary for the future to remain bright and something we all can look forward to achieving. Will there be adjustments on all of our parts, absolutely. Will everything be perfect, like sitting in your same pew every week, probably not? What I can promise you is we will strive for excellence. We will see the Lord build His church on this corner in His time because of the people who sacrificed 42 years ago deserve that and more. Our children and grandchildren, without understanding it now, deserve our sacrifice today so tomorrow they may serve the Lord and reach many more people for Christ. After we are gone to be with the Lord or Jesus returns which will be far better, let it be said, either way, “He found us Faithful.”
