Our church started in 1986 with 30 people, we rented space in a school. After a few years we bought a building. 850k for the building and paid it off in a few years. We soon out grew that building, we had 11 weekend services to hold the people and had grown to 3500 people. We bought 40 acres next to a mall (very expensive place) and was about to build a new 3000 seat building. Going over the budget we were counting on the sale of the old church of about 1.3 million. When we all met, our pastor and several others starting thinking and said: How about we give the building AWAY FREE to another church...so we did, to a small African American congregation..they were floored to say the least....since then our church grew to 8500 and has spun off over 90 other churches.
I think it's because of GIVING away the building for FREE!!
That's how God works...human thinking would want the money.
What's your thought's on this?
2006-08-18 04:09:11 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sounds like the answer to me. God always does different things than people would expect.
2006-08-18 04:17:11 · answer #1 · answered by Ironic Destiny 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
something exciting about the atom: do not recognize no matter if you've stumbled throughout the time of the length difficulty in Quantum Physics, inspite of the undeniable fact that it is somewhat eye-catching. you spot an atom is pervasive; it truly is everywhere and each thing, spread out in all places *till* a wakeful observer makes the alternative to degree it. If in uncomplicated words wakeful beings might want to correctly be observers, then we are in detail hooked into the very existence of truth; hence without our existence, there might want to easily be an ever increasing great position of opportunities with no longer something certain ever occurring. i do not recognize the way it would want to artwork with a metaphysical entity; inspite of the undeniable fact that, i imagine the theory that God (you've used a capital 'G' so i anticipate you're talking about the Christian God) won't be able to see us type of conflicts with the classic view that God governs your existence and supposedly "guides" you, hence in case you dedicate a sin he's continually there for forgiveness; in case you do not recognize what to do, he's there to wish to. Atleast, i imagine it really is the perception.
2016-11-26 00:09:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the law of sowing and reaping, which is much abused these days.
Your church happened to reap a lot of material benefits, but many do the same and reap spiritual ones, such as individual members growing closer to God.
There has got to be a way for parachurch ministries to get operating funds except to constantly preach sowing and reaping. Maybe if the churches did some of the things they do...
2006-08-18 04:24:50 · answer #3 · answered by freelancenut 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did God do the thinking for you, or was it the potential innate good of the human spirit that did it?
That's the point behind free-will, surely? You're thinking with God in mind, but he's not doing the thinking for you...
I think what you guys did was great, and shows that religion doesn't have to be hypocritical. It's surely that proof that you do as you preach that increased your congregation.
2006-08-18 04:17:32 · answer #4 · answered by Azrael 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just Yakn,
It is a principal that is often validated in scripture, that those who are miserly with their posessions, will soon have none. Cast your bread upon the waters, and it will come back to you. I have a question. out of the 8500+ members of your Mega-church, about how many would you say, are Spirit filled, disciples of Jesus?
2006-08-18 04:55:35 · answer #5 · answered by Will O' the Wisp 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So before you gave the building away you were growing at an alarming pace, then after you gave the building away you...continued to grow at an alarming pace.
And somehow you see this is miraculous? I guess religious people feel the need to find "miracles" everywhere.
2006-08-18 04:17:16 · answer #6 · answered by Steven S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Altruism is a natural component of human evolution. It helped our ancestors survive. To find altruism in humanity is not a disproof of evolution -- it's evidence for it. That your church was financially sound enough to act altruistically, and then did so, is a good thing. Does it matter if it was for godly or human reasons that you did good? Or does it matter that you did good?
2006-08-18 04:15:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
That's a nice story! I'm not Christian, but I believe that any group of people who does good is blessed.
Blessings to you and your congregation!
2006-08-18 04:17:35 · answer #8 · answered by ZombieTrix 2012 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That your church is blessed enough to know that this is exactly how God is...how awesome!
2006-08-18 04:18:42 · answer #9 · answered by George A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well you call it Gods work, others might call it Karma. i do believe in what comes around goes around, whether God influenced or not.
2006-08-18 04:18:14 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋