Georgia Church: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Building

Georgia Church: We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Building

Posted on April 14, 2010
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(26) comments

What if we sold our building and use the $1 million to invest in people who have needs? That's the question the people of Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fayetteville, GA asked. Their answer? Heck yeah. Sell the building!

Here's part of an article from 11alive.com in Atlanta:

A church in Fayetteville is closing its doors but not its hearts. Rolling Hills Baptist Church is challenging traditional ideas and selling the church and using the money to help people.

It took about a year for the church to find a buyer. On Monday, they closed on a sale to a Peachtree City church. It is now time for Senior Pastor Frank Mercer and more than 100 parishioners to fly free of the four walls that have surrounded their congregation for more than 20-years. "We feel free, free to do what god commands us to do," Pastor Mercer said about the sale.

The church has a new mission. Instead of investing in the property that consumed most of their budget, they will use the more than $1-million dollars from the sale to invest in people who have needs. "It's just a way of looking at this property differently," Pastor Mercer said. "We saw it as an asset we could liquidate and turn around and use that resource to meet the needs of people."

You can read more here.

What if more churches did this type of thing? Do you think this was a wise move? Could your church operate WITHOUT a building?

Todd

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Comments

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Ken Eastburn on Fri, April 16, 2010

I think what this church has done is phenomenal and have quite enjoyed the conversation here.

We need more churches with the guts to do this. God won’t lead all churches to do this, and that’s okay, but we need more churches who are willing to do something unusual and unconventional for the Kingdom.

We talk about that stuff all the time (doing something unusual and unconventional for God), but for some reason, for many of us, the building is off-limits. We see it as the only thing holding us together, the only thing where we could ever be and do what we we’re supposed to be and do. Not so. Not for the early church, not for the church in third-world countries, and not for the persecuted church. Apparently, actually, only for the rich church.
Sean Sabourin on Mon, April 19, 2010

It sure does challenge the traditional paradigm of thinking that a building is the church. I am a part of a Pastoral team in Abbotsford, BC and we are walking through some of these issues right now. For us, I believe the Lord is saying that it is important to have a base, a home, a place of refuge, but that is what He is saying to us. One of the amazing aspects or realities if you will about God is that He speaks. it is up to us to listen to what He is saying. Thanks for sharing this post. May we remember that prosperity is in our mouths and not in our hands.
Larry Poe on Mon, April 26, 2010

When our church began 4 years ago, we were offered a building. After much prayer, the leadership decided to decline the offer and invest our resources into helping people rather than servicing a building. Since that decision, we have always had a great place to gather for worship…and have never paid anything. We currently are in a large fitness center that is closed on Sundays…so we are still able to put our resources into people. I’m not against buildings at all…just wanted to share how great it is that God keeps providing us wonderful places to meet for free so we can focus completely on reaching and aiding others.
Gary H on Tue, April 27, 2010

This is exciting. Sounds like God is moving in a new way which is always life giving. I wonder if Francis Chan would think this is an example of resurrection?
Gene Scarborough on Thu, April 29, 2010

Isn’t it amazing that Jesus and the 12 never had a building like the Temple at Jerusalem, but turned the world upside down with their ministry.

Baptists tend to look down on Catholics with their “idols,” yet most Baptists hold the beauty and majesty of their church building as their idol.

Let’s face it: the Sanctuary is used, at most, twice in most large churches. Wednesdays are typically using a Family Life Building around the supper table, or the former small sanctuary, now called the Chapel.

To justify the cost of heating and lighting a large facility for just one day of the week defies every other business which will not open its space unless there are enough customers to warrant the expense of staff and utilities.

On a practical basis, would it not be wiser if you want to use the building to offer it to community events so it might be used daily. Most churches will not consider “outsiders” using the facility for fear of liability / secular usage / every other excuse imaginable.

What a wast of money needed to reach the lost—if members would simply share their faith and “newness of life” with those they meet daily. Jesus made a difference, not with a big and glittering building, but with good news that people do not depend on Temple Worship to know God as our simple Heavenly Father!
Doug Forrester on Thu, April 29, 2010

Just as in our candlelight services , Christ’s infectious joy and nature is transferred from heart to heart ! ” O taste and see that the Lord is good ! ” This is where the PROOF is ! ” Taste for yourselves , hungry and thirsty creatures ! ”
We ALL need an addiction ...., get addicted to the real thing ......, you’ll never want to stop !!!! { Even call it a CRUTCH if you like ! }
A crutch ain’t so bad when the leg really IS broken !

Sincerely Forever !
Doug Forrester on Thu, April 29, 2010

A HUGE auditorium can be well lit starting with the flame of just one candle !
So it is with a community of hearts….., as broad as this globe we live on !

We must be vigilant ........, abiding in readiness always !

Bro. Doug
Doug Forrester on Thu, April 29, 2010

I should have substituted the word ” world ” for the word auditorium !
Hearts can very well be set aflame without the use of….., without dependence on an expensive auditorium , thank you !

Bro. Doug
Dr. James Willingham on Thu, April 29, 2010

The only true building of God is the church, the body of Christ, the conregation of chosen and called out people who give themselves up to the Lord Jesus and to one another like the family which they are. As to Meeting Houses, that is all the buildings are. In the church records the buildings were referred t as meeting houses. Only once in my life, I have a seen a church sign that stated, “Meeting House of the _______Church.” My thought was, “How appropriate. How truly biblical.”
Doug Forrester on Thu, April 29, 2010

Dr. Willingham , would you be so kind as to fill in the blank in ” Meeting house of the ________ Church , ” for me ?
Doug Forrester
Dr. James Willingham on Thu, April 29, 2010

Sorry, Doug, but I don’t remember the name. Howevr, the church s located on highway 42 going from Ashboro, NC to Sanford, NC. It is a Baptist church, and I suppose it is independent.