[The Lemon]

Very thought provoking post. I would also say it has a good measure of conviction as well. It has only been in the last couple of years that I have been pondering this very subject myself. I sometimes think about it in relation to Jesus and the borrowed tomb, we use the facility at our current church twice in the week, yet we pay outrageous utility bills and a mortgage on the building/property.

Seems to me that for the amount of time actually spent in the church building, we could easily either do cell groups, or find some open air means of congregating when weather permits, or something. In my experience, alot of the fundraising efforts, building fund, tithe, ect., goes mostly to upkeep the building and grounds. Very little actually goes to the ministry (ala pastor), and community outreach. From a fiscal point of view it just does not make sense how we "do church" here in the US.

Having said all that, I'm certainly not "against" having a building per say, but I am against (as was stated earlier) the building having us and holding the congregation ransom. I have actually had a pastor tell me that they have seen folks who work in the financial aspects of the church backslide in part to having to deal with the pressures of the finances of the church - how sad.