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Church Health and Growth

A Response To: "Why Are We Spending So Much On a Church Building?"

A pastor (not at my church) was approached by a couple who were concerned about the cost of a church building project, over $3 million. To be sure, this isn't an insignficant amount of money, and concerns about spending money on church buildings aren't uncommon. How would you respond to this concern? Here's how this pastor responded. He gently explained that the couple's house is probably worth around $1 million dollars (Sydney isn't a cheap place to live!). 4 people live in that house, and most of them are at work or at school for the majority of the week. He then explained that the church is in daily use by over 500 people every week of the year, and the desire is for this number to continue to grow.

$1 million for 4 people. $3+ million for 500 people (and growing).

This doesn't mean the ministry benefits don't need to be carefully articulated - they do. However, comparing the amount of use, and the costs of each facility, it becomes clear that the redevelopment cost (especially in Sydney) is not as out of proportion as it may first appear.