7 April 2008
Reflection on the Future Grace Gathering
Grace has asked church members to give an account of participating in the Future Grace Phase 2 Campaign. In our first edition, Kami Rice reflects on Sunday evening’s Future Grace Gathering.
by Kami Rice
I’ve just finished reading and praying through Day One in the devotional guide we received last night. How timely this passage of scripture is in my life, and how thankful I am for the reflection questions that prodded me past myself to also consider how this Genesis passage speaks to the life of our church community too.
Over the years I’ve moved around enough that I’ve never really had to participate in a building campaign before. Unintentionally, I tend to arrive at churches toward the end of their fundraising drive or be moving on around the time a campaign gets underway. There’ve always been legitimate reasons for not participating. The church I grew up in funded and built a new building in my early high school years, but that was for parents to worry about and didn’t really impact the life of the youth group.
This time actually could be the same as all the other times. There are many reasons for me not to participate. For starters, this summer I’ll be moving away from Nashville, moving out of the country in fact. Because of my impending move, I’m working hard to save as much as possible toward the sizable expenses associated with relocating abroad. I work as a freelance writer, and my income is meager and unpredictable anyway. I’m moving to a country where that little income will be cut in half as soon as I step off the airplane (courtesy of not-in-our-favor exchange rates). I already don’t know how it’s all going to work. And now I’m being asked to give more? What bad timing.
Beyond that, I have a lot of good friends who raise money to fund the good work they do in God’s name, both at home and abroad. I’m connected to organizations also in constant need of funds to do the work God’s given them to do. I’m already giving to these places. How can I give more?
And so, in light of all these things, a part of me wants not to participate again. It would be simpler that way, and my plate is so full already. But that’s not the “right” answer this time. This time I sense God asking me to join with this body of fellow believers to seek him through this opportunity we’ve been given for a particular form of seeking.
One of the ways I can give tangible thanks to God and to this body for being God’s hands and feet and heart to me is to dive into this journey too and continue embracing this church community. God is at work in the midst of Grace Community Church, and I trust that this building campaign is part of his means for working in us as individuals and as a community. It’s about a building, yet it’s not about a building at all. May God grow us all into more faithful disciples over these days.
Category: Event Summaries.
