Remember: Church buildings exist to win lost souls to Christ

An Alabama Baptist pastor once asked his congregation if their church building should be a museum where people come to gaze at things on the wall or a theater where religious performances are played out for audiences.
   
He asked, How about a mausoleum where church members meditate about the saints who have gone before them or an armory that provides instructions and inspiration for the battles in their everyday lives?
   
Using the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19, the pastor explained that church buildings should be used to win more souls for Jesus Christ and prepare Christ-followers to apply Christian teachings in their everyday life.

According to Gary Swafford, church leaders should keep this in mind throughout the building process.
   
As director of church building and new work for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, Swafford constantly reminds churches throughout the state that their facilities should be resources for Christians to use in building the kingdom of God, not as monuments to themselves.
   
“If the building is built by us and for us, it becomes a monument to us, but if it is built for the Lord and through the strength of the Lord, then it becomes a tool or a resource to help build the Kingdom,” he said. “Planning for people will help church leaders avoid building a monument. It brings honor to God, not to man,” he added.
   
Using Acts 1:8, Isaiah 66:1, Haggai 1:8 and Nehemiah 10:39, Swafford advises Alabama Baptist churches to keep their perspective on doing God’s work when expanding or renovating their facilities.
   
“It is our attitude about the building that [determines] if it is a tool or a monument,” he noted. “If the goal of a Christian is to be used in service of the Lord, to build a Kingdom, it (the building) honors God.”
   
In addition to worshiping God throughout the construction process, Swafford recommends that churches remember to praise Him through celebration once payments are complete on the building.
   
“In Nehemiah 6, when the wall was complete they called the choir together and they worshiped and celebrated,” Swafford explained. “Celebration of completing the payments, marking milestones and giving honor to the Lord for leading the congregation to complete the task is very important.”