Tenants and Tenets

If you have driven by the church on a random weekday these past several weeks, you may have noticed a few more cars in the parking lot than normal. Perhaps you would have seen someone gathering our monthly offering of sack lunches for the Loaves and Fishes Ministry downtown. Or perhaps you would have seen that one of our Missions and Outreach Committee members was preparing games and supplies for our Fall Family Fest (this Sunday from 4-6 pm!). But almost certainly you would have seen members of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia wandering around their new offices. Since the beginning of October, CBF of Georgia has been leasing the classrooms behind the church chapel as their new office space. The opportunity to have CBFGA as tenants on our campus came about quickly, but the deacons who approved the lease agreement in September realized the incredible opportunity to have a mission partner in our space. Highland Hills Baptist Church willfully affiliates with the CBF. We go on CBF retreats, have hosted the state gathering, use CBF resource material, and support CBF Field Personnel. Now this partner in ministry is closer than ever, using space in our building that was only being used for storage before. CBFGA are truly tenants, paying the church for the space they are leasing. Supporting our budget, and through the budget, our ministry and witness next year. Certainly, that is something to celebrate!

Sometimes, as we pay for new roofs and lawn maintenance and flood repairs, it can feel like the church exists for the building. As if the building demands and dictates how we use our resources. To an extent that is true; however, a tenet of this church that I want us to hold onto is that this building and our beautiful grounds exist not as an end unto themselves, but as an asset towards God's kingdom. Our physical spaces should serve God, serve this congregation, serve our ministry and witness, serve our missions and outreach. Each time our building is used for Sunday School lessons or Family Night Suppers, Sunday morning worship or Fall Family Fests, each time it helps people become more aware of the beauty and sacred nature of creation, it serves the Kingdom of God. Moving forward, more and more, we hope to explore how our building can continue to be an asset for the Kingdom. We want it to generate income our church can use. We want to house mission partners and garden clubs. We want it to welcome church visitors and rental tenants. We want in all things for our church building to serve our community as we serve God. If you know someone looking to rent a space or have a creative idea for something we can try, let us know! This building was created for the church and the church created to love and serve the Lord. Now let us go forth and do.