Read: Matthew 28:16-20
“Go therefore and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19)

Reflection: When a church has a capital campaign, everyone seems to have the same kind of question — What are we building? What does the building look like? What color will the carpet be? Or perhaps, what debt are we eliminating? What am I going to get out of this? What is my part to play?

Fundamentally, all of those “what” questions are far and away the least important questions to ask. The most important question in a capital program challenge is not what, but WHY. Why are we building? Why are we expanding our ministries? Why is Parkway Heights here? Why am I here at this place and this time?

No church builds a structure just to have a nice building. No church expands ministries just to be a bigger church. No person makes a sacrificial financial commitment just to get some kind of service or program benefit. People — and churches — do not give their lives or their resources or their selves to a building or to a program or to being bigger. What people will give their lives to is a God-given purpose, a higher calling. So the most important question to answer in our capital campaign is not what are we doing, but WHY are we doing it. Why is Parkway Heights doing this? What does God call this church to be and to do? And how does this capital campaign provide tools for us to respond to that calling? The last commandment Jesus spoke for every Christian was, “Go … make disciples of all nations … teach them all that I have commanded you.” Every church and every Christian has a God-given purpose to be and to do what God calls us to be and to do. This program is not simply about buildings or finances. This program is about reaching and teaching and changing the lives of people with the good news of Jesus Christ. The resources raised provide the necessary tools to help us better connect, equip and send faithful disciples.

You needed Christ. Your life has been reached, taught, changed by the witness and ministries of Parkway Heights. Would you like for other people to have a story of faith to tell and a purpose for their lives? Their stories depend now on your faithfulness.

Prayer: Lord, grow my passion for Your purposes in my life and in my church. You have brought me here for a reason. Show me what You would do through me.

Action Item: Make a list of WHY these projects are important. How many people will they help your church reach? How many people will they help your church teach? Can you put a value on what changing those people’s lives may be worth? When you focus on the WHY question, how important do these projects become for you?