This past Tuesday, our truck pulled up to North Landing Elementary School to unload for the last time. It’s hard to believe that in less than a year’s time we’re moving into our own facility. I really thought we’d be a portable church for a long, long time. This past week I’ve been thinking about Proverbs 16:9 which says, We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. (NLT)

It hit me tonight that I will no longer have to do two hours of manual labor before the church service. That got me thinking about what else will change. How will we change as a church? Will people who don’t feel comfortable in a typical church still feel comfortable coming to a “church” facility? Will people who’ve only been to church have an opportunity pitch in and lend a hand? When you’re a portable church there’s so many things that need to be done to pack up the truck each week that everyone can contribute.

Will we go down the road of so many other churches before us that start out with a heart for people who are far from God only to end up being another “Christian Country Club” where membership is kind of exclusive and comes with special privileges? Will we start having so many programs and events that we don’t have time for building relationships with people? Will we start thinking that we need to get people to come to our building for events rather than continuing to find creative ways to go out into our community and meet people where they are?

My hope is that we find a way to continue to do what we’ve been doing. The Ware Neck facility is just a tool. May it never be the center of our focus, the driving force behind ministry, or something we feel we need to have in order to be a church. Right now I’m thinking that our portable days are behind us. But as God has already shown us, He determines our steps.  Who knows, perhaps we’ll outgrow the facility by this time next year and have to become a portable church again. Whatever happens, may we continue to be essential.