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Church on the Move (Part 3): 10 Reasons We Rejoice in Relocating

steepleFrom 1928, the Highland Church of Christ in Memphis, TN grew from a suburban church plant of 24 to a large urban congregation with four Sunday AM services, two Sunday Schools, five church plants, and all-time high records in 2001 in Sunday School (1419), Sunday AM worship (1855), and membership (1806).  With the building capacity maxed out and the property landlocked, in 2001 leaders privately investigated an alternate property for the purpose of relocation.  By 2003, the relocation discussion went public and the congregation voted to move.  Nine years after the initial investigations, the Highland Church of Christ re-launched in a new facility on forty acres in a suburban location. 

Almost everything that could go wrong during a church relocation did go wrong with ours.  Yet, many things also went right.  In the previous series of posts, I explored that which went wrong–the things we regret about our relocation journey.  In this series, I’ll explore what went right–the things we rejoice in about our relocation journey.

#1 – It taught us that “success” is simpler than we thought.

In the South (and elsewhere, I’m sure) church “success” is spelled with the letter “B”: Buildings, Budgets, and Baptisms.  If you’ve got large and beautiful buildings, you are making budget, and you’re baptizing lots of people you are successful.  Our relocation journey, however, placed us temporarily into a situation in which we had no building (we worshiped for two and a half years in temporary facilities after selling our facility and before building a new facility), we were slashing the budget year after year, and baptisms were few and far between.  Though painful, we are grateful for those circumstances because they forced us to reexamine success.  God taught us once again that church is about the people, not the building.  Church is about the mission, not the money.  Church is about who we are, not about where we are and what we have.  Simply put, being “unsuccessful” taught us to be church once again.  We found success in the simple things, in the ministry we could do even without buildings and budgets.  Thom Rainer’s book “Simple Church” rang true for us during this period.  We no longer could be the church that did everything.  But we could do a few things and do them well.  And in that faithful service, we rediscovered success.

Church on the Move (Part 3): 10 Reasons We Rejoice in Relocating

Church on the Move: 11 Things We Regret About Relocating (Part 2)

hscc_bldgFrom 1928, the Highland Church of Christ in Memphis, TN grew from a suburban church plant of 24 to a large urban congregation with four Sunday AM services, two Sunday Schools, five church plants, and all-time high records in 2001 in Sunday School (1419), Sunday AM worship (1855), and membership (1806).  With the building capacity maxed out and the property landlocked, in 2001 leaders privately investigated an alternate property for the purpose of relocation.  By 2003, the relocation discussion went public and the congregation voted to move.  Nine years after the initial investigations, the Highland Church of Christ re-launched in a new facility on forty acres in a suburban location. 

Almost everything that could go wrong during a church relocation did go wrong with ours.  Yet, many things also went right.  In this series of posts, I’ll explore that which went wrong–the things we regret about our relocation journey.  In the next series, I’ll explore what went right–the things we rejoice in about our relocation journey.

#3 – It revealed our quickness to complain.

The difficulty of the journey revealed the selfish side of us which was quick to complain when things didn’t go our way.  Complaining within the congregation spiked three times: upon publicly announcing the decision to relocate, during our transition from our permanent building to temporary facilities, and during the transition into the new facility.  We were like the Israelites in the desert groaning that we should have stayed in Egypt.  Even when we proposed changing our schedule by 30 minutes to better accommodate guests, complaints poured in.  It’s just like when my family has moved from one house to another–we get cranky and snap at each other even where there’s no real reason.

Church on the Move: 11 Things We Regret About Relocating (Part 2)

Courage From Above: The Hope of Heaven on Earth (2 Cor. 4:10-12)

Chris Altrock – April 11, 2010

 

In his book Surprised by Hope N. T. Wright warns that some of the classic Christian hymns about heaven may be misleading.[1]  He cautions that some hymns can be misunderstood to teach a kind of escapism.  They can be misconstrued and make us so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good.  For example, the 1920 hymn “Where the Gates Swing Outward Never,” states: “Just a few more years with their toil and tears, And the journey will be ended.”  The hymn states that life is filled with toil and tears.  And thus it might lead someone to think that we’ve got to escape this toil-filled and tear-filled life as quickly as possible and get to heaven.  The 1876 hymn “Beyond This Land of Parting” sings: “Beyond this land of parting, losing and leaving, Far beyond the losses darkening this, And far beyond the taking and the bereaving, Lies the summer land of bliss.”  The hymn states that all this life offers is parting, losing, leaving, taking, and bereaving.  And thus it might lead someone to conclude that the only thing to do is escape this life and get to that heavenly summer land of bliss.

 Courage From Above: The Hope of Heaven on Earth (2 Cor. 4:10-12)

Courage From Above: The Hope of Heaven as You and Your World Made Whole (2 Cor. 4:14)

Chris Altrock & Joshua Ray – April 4, 2010 Easter Sunday

 

During the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia the Russian athletes struggled.  In the days leading up to the games, Russian leaders boasted that their athletes would bring home 30 medals.  By the time Vancouver was complete, however, they only brought home 15 medals, and only 3 of those were gold.  It was the Russian’s worst performance since 1912.  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called for the resignation of Russia’s top Olympic officials.  Russia groaned, because they envisioned that the games could have been so much more.  They were afflicted with this sense that Russia hadn’t fulfilled its potential.

Courage From Above: The Hope of Heaven as You and Your World Made Whole (2 Cor. 4:14)