Missions and a Sanctuary

Last night we did things a little different at church.  (Cornerstone Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC)  The evening began at 5 with a fundraiser dinner for the short term volunteer missions teams.  Fourteen of us worked to serve dinner to 300+ people.  It was a good old fashioned cook out - hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, baked beans, home made potato salad, and all the fixings.  A girl scout troop who has been studying issues related to food and hunger sponsored a bake sale with many, many great looking treats.  The funds from the bake sale will also go to support the mission teams as they go to Honduras and have several opportunities to provide food for the homeless and hungry.  The Family Life Center was filled with great fellowship and laughter.   Lots of words of encouragement were offered to the teams who will be heading to either Honduras in July or Ukraine in September.

After dinner, the congregation picked up their chairs and moved outside.  We gathered as a congregation on the plot of land where we believe we will eventually build a new sanctuary.  We spent time worshiping God and praying and asking for God's wisdom and vision for Cornerstone.  We ended the evening with all 250+ people standing in a circle around the land and praying that we will move in the exact direction God has designed for Cornerstone.

Several things struck me when I got home last night. 

• Cornerstone is growing - not just in numbers but in relationship with our God.  The last two weeks sermons were on the power of prayer and I stood among 250+ people claiming that power and seeking to hear from God.  That is powerful!
• Cornerstone is growing - not just in a building but in a vision.  The congregation didn't stand there last night and ask God to give them a new building and cast everything else aside for a building.  They first supported two teams reaching people across the world for Christ.  I do not believe that God will bless the efforts of a congregation who make themselves more important than the lost.  As of today, even as we struggle to make budget each week, I have not seen Cornerstone cut a missions or outreach budget so that they could build a new building.  My prayer for Cornerstone is that they increase what they are giving "out" so that they may see an even great blessing on what they need for "in."
• I will miss them when we leave for Spain.  Sometimes the excitement and focus of what tomorrow holds clouds the reality of today.  Last night I realized it will be hard to say good-bye.