What are we building together?
This week I came across an article on church budgets. It may not sound like an exciting topic, but it raised an important question. The article said, “Your budget should not just show what you spent. It should show what you’re building.” I found myself sitting with that sentence for quite a while. A budget tells a story. It reveals what we are preparing for, what we value, and where we believe God is leading us next. I am continually amazed at what Robertson-Wesley is able to offer both our community of faith and the wider community with a modest budget and a small staff. We are able to do so much because of YOU. When each of us shares the gifts God has given us, and when we work together, we create spaces where people can heal, grow, belong, and discover that they are loved. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul writes, “You are God's field, God's building...each builder must choose with care how to build upon it.” Paul reminds the church—and reminds us—that we are building something that ultimately belongs to God. In Ephesians 2, he expands that image, describing the church as a living building where each person is an essential part of the whole.
That may be the most important reminder of all. There are times when we wonder if we have anything worthwhile to offer. We may think someone else is more gifted, more experienced, or more capable. We may assume that what we do is too small to matter. Yet the church has never been built by a few extraordinary people. It has always been built by ordinary people who faithfully shared what they had. Perhaps our greatest challenge is not finding enough gifts but removing the barriers that keep those gifts from being shared. Sometimes those barriers are practical. Sometimes they are traditions that no longer serve us. Sometimes they are our own fears, our uncertainty, or the belief that we are not needed. Whatever the barrier, it deserves our attention. Healthy things grow when we remove what prevents life from flourishing.
As a congregation, we are not simply maintaining a building or balancing a budget. We are preparing for the future God is calling us to embrace. Every act of generosity, every volunteer hour, every welcoming conversation, every prayer, every new idea, every hand extended in kindness helps build a church where others can encounter God's love. That future is not built by a minister, a board, or a handful of dedicated volunteers. It is built by all of us. Together we discern God's call, remove the barriers that prevent people from participating, make room for new ideas and new voices, and encourage one another to offer the gifts that God has placed within us. When every person is welcomed, trusted, and empowered to serve, the whole Body of Christ grows stronger. God is still calling Robertson-Wesley to be a place of honest spirituality, inclusive community, and mutually transformative relationships. The question before us is not whether God is still building. The question is whether we are willing to build together. Each of us has something to offer. Each gift is needed. Each person is valued. Together, we are building something that will bless not only those who are here today, but generations yet to come. My prayer is that we continue to offer God our hearts, our hands, and our hope for the future. As the psalmist reminds us:"Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands—O prosper the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:17) May God bless the work of our hands as, together, we build a future filled with faith, hope, and love. Rev. Karen