Primary
Considerations
· Reawakening
a Sojourner Mentality The longer you stay in a place,
there more it defines who you are. We
have been at Middleton so long, we have built it into a kind of cathedral of
our own. So it is that we would do well—if
the Lord makes it possible—to put that sterile, cavernous “Middleton Definition”
behind us, and become tent-dwellers again, who see physical space as temporary,
and are forced to be defined by other things—soon to be clarified. Your leaders would be more comfortable moving
several times this year than staying put any longer. Especially since everyone is aware we have
been looking for quite some time, and contribution pledges were made by people
which (we hope and pray) allow us to afford an alternative.
· Living
in the Tension Joel
Barfield summed it up well as we were completing our tour of Bella Via. He said, “It’s a solid 8. Which is saying something; because we’ll never
find a 10.” He is so right! As long as we are sojourners on a mission (as
the church is always meant to be) we will never find the space that fits us
perfectly. It is good for us to have to
make the best of things—to “make do.”
Those whose Savior died painfully for them need to learn to accept
inconvenience as a given. Not enough
close parking? We’ll make it work. Need to spread out into an extra
building? We’ll adjust. Healthy tension keeps us mindful of what
matters most.
· Preparing
Hearts for Deeper Changes “An object in motion tends to stay in motion;
an object at rest tends to stay at rest” (Sir Isaac Newton). Many things need to happen this year to get
us back in motion. While “a physical move won’t change everything”
(which is true: it certainly and absolutely won’t) it will make some difference, and set the stage for other, more
heart-level changes. Discussions are
happening right now to more clearly define these heart-level concerns of
SCCOC.
· Getting
us Closer Together “Love grows best in little
houses” (Doug Stone). The size of—in
this case—Bella Via eliminates our ability to spread out to the point that we
do not grow closer. Some of the advice in
church planting lore indicates that size matters. Being in a space too big for you is inadvisable.
On the other hand, living like a Hermit
Crab, in a space just large enough to accommodate growth, while being constantly
on the lookout for the next “shell,” is considered an effective strategy.
· Getting
us in the Public Eye (and Centrally Located)
We presently gather on the first day of the week in an out-of-the-way location,
very far from the center of our community, and the people most prone to
recognize their need for a Savior. Bella
Via, if everything works out for us to move there, places us in the heart of
our community.
Secondary Considerations
· Still
Room for Growth Bella Via will seat 72 people at
tables on the lower level, and another 30+ on the upper level. So there is room for growth from our current
average Worship Gathering attendance of 55.
· Streamlining
Set-Up This move eliminates the need to:
o
Roll some tables out before
setting up other tables
o
Manipulate heavy tables
o
Set up any tables for refreshments
(there is a bar in the back)
o
Haul water from 100 yards away to
the refreshment table for coffee and water
o
Bring grape juice with us each
week from someone’s fridge (hard to remember at times!).
o
Etc.
Are
we jumping from the frying pan into the fire?
Perhaps. Won’t know till we
jump. Seth Godin wrote a blog article
some time ago called “The Perfect Problem.” (Google “Seth Godin The Perfect
Problem”) which ends with this statement:
If the only alternative is a slow and painful failure, the way to get unstuck is to blow up a constraint, deal with the pain, and move forward. Fast.
Hopefully, we are on the verge of blowing up some constraints. In our minds, that is an excellent idea!
