In recent weeks, God has been moving my heart away from the perceived need for a permanent home for StoneBridge Church. The traditional church planting model has always led to using rented facilities until the congregation/associational support is able to secure a permanent location. Mark Batterson talked about his traditional mindset of securing a permanent church campus when he started National Community Church in Washington DC. After meeting in the movie theaters at Union Station, he realized, "I can't build a church like this!". After all, with Union Station, the church has its own Metro system, Amtrak station, mall, food court, and is in the heart of Washington DC.
Morgantown real estate continues to escalate. Desirable commercial property is selling in excess of $1 million per acre. I keep asking myself this question, "Would I rather invest all my energies and resources in planting one church and developing a permanent campus, or would the greater kingdom impact be made by planting a multiplicity of churches in the I-79 corridor, without the perceived need for permanent facilities and the financial obligations that come with the territory?"
I feel an incredible freedom in knowing that God has called me to plant churches, not necessarily to develop commercial real estate.
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