Our Next Big Step

13 to 16 to follow along with me you are the salt of the earth, but if salt has become taped tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and Trampled Under Foot by men. You are the light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hidden nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket but on the lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.

Bent shoot I don't even know where to even start a system thinking about this on Monday. Cuz here's the reality is reliance fellowship and its journey and I wouldn't have written it this way. Honestly, I wouldn't have described our journey or it's not because I'm not created or I don't have big dreams. I wouldn't have written it the way the Lord has I am. I'm thankful for that because I am having eye trouble to know but I have a limited view. Of what God is doing? And died.

I want to provide you and I hope a view of what God has been doing in our past and drawing us to where we're at in our present and because here's a tissue when Adam and I move you to the Tri-Cities area. We never had a problem with what we were called to that. I was never the problem. The problem was where and does on August 14th, 2018. The elders sat outside of mr. Vandervorts building and as Elders, we were not confused about the what is always been committed to what God is calling us as a people to do to be a light a community and which is unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that ministers that out into our families into our schools into a workplaces and into our very a very fabric with an herb Albert within our community. We were we are never been confused with that reality. And so are we sat outside of mr. Vandiver office? And we asked simple prayer that we've asked quite often God we want to go where you flash. Don't let us go where you're not we know the what and we think we know the where so we prayed. for wisdom Clarity and quite frankly confirmation we wanted to know that we're I think for something this is going too fast.

Because you're the reality went out and I moved to this community. Like I said, I wouldn't have written it this way cuz in 2013 2032r June of 2013. It was our ambition when we move from Dallas, Texas to Tri-Cities. We asked the same question or where and here was our problem we faced. Is that when we moved here we realize that we couldn't meet in the school systems here. And that wasn't one of our original Ambitions is that says we've seen Church plants in the South bar in bishan was the model that type of Church Plant and use the resources with the community to gather a community which would reach out and back to the community with the love of Jesus Christ. And so original I moved here we thought that would be the path of God would have for us about moving here. We realized that Richland and West Richland had stricter policies. I've been around the rest of the nation in which for nonprofits even if you were to look into a school facility that hurt there is some considerations that you have to realize you are only allowed to use it for 1 year. and to you cannot use it with it when it falls on a holiday Spring Breaks or Summers and and You have to show and I quote the school districts that you have plans underway for purchasing and building your own facility. Which atom and I just moving here while we think we might have Riches of Christ in us don't have the resources at that time to buy land or show any should I remember even the early days and I was trying to show my loan officer that I had adequate income to buy a house sitting there and there is asking me so you're a pastor. Yes. What will where is your location? We don't have a location. So how you receiving money, but we're at church but there's nobody there yet myself thinking. I know what he's thinking and I would agree with him. So that let us to be very creative and I can I stop for some this is not normal for us and I feel even a little bit uncomfortable. I love sitting in here God's word and revealing to this to us in our hearts and calling us to obedience. But as I found myself working this week. When I get to do this morning is talk about what God has done. And there is so much joy in that as well. And that in light of that reality and not be able to go into the school system and only being ever one year we had to be what I would say creative and we took that which was available to us and we are still to this day very thankful for Barracuda coffee shop allowing us to use their facility on Sunday night. When was closed to begin establishing a community and in September of 2013. We had our first service our kids ministry looks a little different today. We were able to gather up some PVC pipe and a sign that on the porch there the kids would have their time of Sunday school and learning and if you ever get the chance to go to the Richland Barracuda, you'll find that I would sit and look at the door and I would worry that some kid would run into the parking lot during our search. Is sending back there was one we got them before they got to The Barking Lot but to God was gracious. I remember even sitting and talking with my neighbor when we said we're a church plant. We're starting off in a coffee shop that humbly acknowledge. That was weird. We had to be creative. And we knew the what? Oh my God, I moved us here. And we're at that time and season was Barracuda coffee shop and God raised up leaders and people and amazingly and as we grew we recognize just two months in this is not a long-term solution for us as a church. We could do multiple services but one of the other four reasons we were forced to consider a new location is that the kids could not in November set up and so we began to try to be creative again, but here's the trouble when we moved here. Adam was part-time and he was working out W shoe and that forced his hit our hands the same as we can tear a support Adam. You have to go get part-time and he went out to WSU and worked at the bookstore selling candy bars and sometimes books.

God knows what he's doing. And that season what we're trying to find a new location weak man. We were we were trying to be creative. We looked everywhere for finding a church to worship of the facility. It's the parking you might have the facility and like a church on like a business. Everybody comes at the same time a business Hoover. Hope it's the hours for an hour and a half is not a good model. I supposed to end at how the adequate parking to serve. All the customers is not what normal businesses do and so for us he became quite a struggle and nothing left open to us, man. I even remember driving down to the sunset Event Center, you know has know where that is. It's on the other side of the cemetery over here in Richland in the road. I chuckled the road that gets there. It's called Cemetery Road to come to Reliance. You must die and then find life at the end of the road. Every look at their facilities are beautiful. So the cility but the problem was it was $1,000 roughly a weekend. And we thought that was for two hours and we felt that that was not the greatest out because I think that would have made us feel like that. We are open to the community for two hours while very qualified discipleship. Pastor is working part time at WSU selling candy bars that that that would be unwise choice and so we are or where do you want? What where do you want us and one day I drove by on the freeway and at this time it's not there anymore. I remember seeing gather4him Christian college and I thought to myself while we got to look at this place. And so there I went I went and I sabbah 4th the present at the time they're bought or is still at the current president Bob Nash and I sat with him and I we have these really fancy perspectives when we moved to the area and we sat and I showed him this perspective and and I said we moved here from Dallas to to minister the gospel. We know the why we just don't know where and we think that this might be an option for us. And so being creative. You have a smart knowing this is was a start-up College. I sat down with him and I said, Received my masters from Dallas Theological Seminary and I assume that you might need help in teaching now take it or leave it. If you want me to teach I'll teach you don't know no harm done and heartfelt them and I want your building. I said that with a feeling that he was excited about the possibility of teaching there and I had to ask him how much if you were to open its first, would you allow us to rent it for and he said but why don't you write go back look at your budget and write up a proposal. and so I did and

sometimes you make offers to business people that you're ashamed of this is insulting and so sensitive and said I was around $1,000 a weekend in an art budget was $400 for a month. And so I made a proposal to Bob Nash. We love to use her facility for 2 hours a week and we loved to pay in a generous amount every month for $100. he countered

I don't know what God was doing but he countered was something that that I didn't even think about asking and he said how about not for let's do $600 a month and you need it more than 2 hours a week. When the school's not using it just make sure it gets on the calendar and you can use it Monday through Sunday.

We've always known the what the where and it was the perfect place for us. We called it the garage. You can't see it in this picture kind of see it on the right side. This is a picture of what God did over the year and growing up a community inside is awkward room. How many of you guys remember the fan that were there all man admits serving the greatest Point inspired led by the Holy Spirit to reveal and all the Sun the spirit of the evil one would come in and that fan with turn on and it was like this.

You think these are a problem for kids room was right next to the TV was right to the left and every once in awhile. Back-row it start chuckling does the kids in the other room or mowing like cows or blind band like Lambs? I don't know what got this that and what I find fascinating That season is that that season in the generosity of gather4him allowed us to bring out of my uncle's time. Anonymous huge another thing that was incredibly strategic is in that season as well another Ministry that had been working out the church playing called Portico. Do I open them and mixed in with Reliance in that season and God use that time to knit us together and to grow us together and it was a it was a good season but came to the point where we had to decide again or we know the what we know they're what we're supposed to be called to but the where is now becoming quite difficult because this only allowed us to room for the intellectually one room for kids ministry. There was a second one that we made work, but it had you had to go up this flight of stairs and there was a room up on top of the other children's room in which you could have like five kids. And so some of you will remember that that stairs and always have beers of somebody pump went down but we were in a bind Because we had to think about Lord another what now the where is becoming an issue because we don't feel this is adequate to go to a second service and as a result of that we recognize and we felt the the conviction of the Lord and I'll look for a new where we're God was leading. And God is amazing. For some reason over the last several years ever since moving here. We have always looked at this abandoned building quite frankly. You can hit still known in this community. Even though why we've been here for the last three years that where you guys worship all we will worship in that building that was built in for 10 years away bacon and nobody was in there and then all the sudden that loudest move in because nobody was there and everybody knows that the building was built was making for 10 years. They know that building. Is it here in the Tri-Cities question over which we could even afford when we first moved here this space here in this this building was around $25 a square foot and that was way out of our price range in that year when we were starting to consider I gather for him what we need to do what to do a second service or move on the rent had move your teeth. By God's grace from $25 to $14 into the pointment when we were started look somewhere else to $10.

So we called up our agent and he started and sat us down and we told him hey, this is what We wants the problem is we we can't just get one unit. We need at least three and it's so that we can have a a sanctuary and a place for our kids ministry and $10 was at the max of our budget that we could afford and so as Elders in our team we in our agent we said, okay. Well, let's negotiate with mr. Ben vandervert and see if I will take what we offer cuz the max we could do is 10g help. We didn't like I did with Bob Nash proposal that it wasn't by God's grace a normal businessman would have laughed at considered. I mean think about it just the square foot is what he was offering and it's what we did is we wrote a proposal that we want to Suites for $7 a square foot and we want the third one for free for the first year.

Can you set a counter for essentially? What we were asking was for $4.77 per square foot for three Suites is what we are asking we are hoping that his secretary would not show him the numbers just south of somebody's interested. And so we waited. And we hope I didn't sultan. and he accepted

I tell you all this story because we've always known the what?

In 2013 of September there was no way we could have for another less.

The God is done something for us in that in that season. I remember the joy of hearing and receiving that where it's the minister Vandiver had accepted our offer and that now we were entering into a new season of life is a community where we are moving into a building which will be ours from Monday through Sunday. That would be a place for us to continue to grow and she accepted a unwise business decision. Oh my God. Oh my God, you're a business man. You don't take offers that make you go under I mean that you don't do that. Vention for us as well. That was exciting. We had never built walls and we've never raise money to build their own walls are no less put carpet in and so we wrote The Proposal week presented for to heard that little community of people that we needed to raise $25,000 to build the walls without naive we were quite is actually twice as much as what we actually needed it. So we needed to raise $40,000 to build the walls. Create a place in which God could use this community and within two months.

What I find fascinating about that story in about that. Remembering is I was reflecting even for today. We needed a licensed contractor to oversee the work and God provide. We need an architect and architect drawings are expensive. I don't know if you've noticed. I'm sure you do the architect and so happens that the community that I moved into the bank allowed me to move into. There Was An Architect next door who happened to be a Christian purchased recently moved to the community. And so he drew up the plans for Reliance for free. We needed a plumber and a plumber donated his time to plumb this building to the code of mr. Vandiver. My dad donated a urinal to this church men. That is a gift from God. We need an electrician. And God provided a electrician doors and cabinets and they were gifted to the church. We needed our own sound system. fashion and that was not part of the original budget. And that's for some reason God foresaw. Even before Adam and Jake and move to Jacob. Jake Jacob do the community to raise up a community called Portico setting money aside to determine how God might use it and being melted into the community Reliance and then this transition. They said we want to buy the equipment we do the what we know what God has been calling us and that we ought to be a light to the world. Is this confidence that we have in Christ that is never been the confusion the wear and I remember the Journey of just saying. You are reviewing the where it is a stretch to go into a building remember signing the first year's lease and you better show up God. Undefined the confidence is gone provided step by step by step and I am so glad he did that why?

because he did something and may just decide to do something that we have are ready for I was ready for 4 and God forced us to make a decision before we were ready to make it the reality is that We when writing the offer for 3 Suites told Mr. Vandervert. Yes, you're going to get it for $4 a square foot. But as well, you're going to give us right of refusal on both sides of these walls. If anybody else comes in next to us. Mr. Vandiver, you need us you need to tell us so that we can match it and take it as a reality was is that that space we knew was not going to dig it up. And we were going to need more than two classrooms for our kids ministry.

And Physique Fitness facility came in before we were even in worshiping and God made us choose to make a decision to retake and adjacent sweet. Or do we take the other side so that we can have a kids ministry? I'm in the latter. Letting physique come in take the ceiling apart put in new AC unit lines and they came in and built a fitness facility. Where is God then showed us the need for kids ministry in water wise choice. I was we were foolish to think that we to classrooms it by God's grace. We put that need before you guys and once again God showed up and there was a service for we need to just a little bit more for carpet put the meat out there in the carpet with paint. For me as a leader as a pastor in the elders lot of this I know hasn't been C. I don't know how we communicate this. Sometimes. That's primarily what I want you to see is God grace Ryu reveal to the gospel. But gone in the background has been ever working ever present ever working on your hearts as we are committed to to the what of our ministry And so two years ago, how can I stop? I just want to stop and say thanks to those and I know that if people come in and season, but thanks for those who saw the community coming. The guy was going to provide lights and in light of that acting in faith with your resources to commit to that and what a joy it was to see and walk along with you through that 2016 came along and we are faced with another dilemma. We had been talking for one year. Results of the kids ministry crying in that little Sanctuary that we had. Here's a picture of it. Some of you may not have seen it. This is pre this is this is our first service because I've always paid it and it looks like this is me a low-budget, but that's before we got the car. But this is our first Christmas Eve service here. And I God was gracious in that we had been talking for a year about a second service and just at the end of that year physique. fitness facility how to make a business decision and shut their doors

and we asked if we've also many times where why we went before our congregation. We spoke many with this many of you and we said there's an option going to second service or we can grow our sanctuary and it's our first proposal to you. We said we'll just take one Suite which literally would have been right here in which you said. No. No, that's not enough. We need to take to sweet and so is result of hearing you we were responded and we wrote mr. Vandiver yet another offer. He took it the match the curtains, you know, I think we're paying around and he was like 10 or $11 a month for a square footage. Now. We are so below I said, is he a busy? He is he a businessman or was he a businessman? Yes fascinating it was is that when we first moved in this building we wanted an open ceiling we wanted to but the problem was we couldn't afford it. Mr. Vanderburgh did it? So we moved to this facility. All we literally had to do is build a wall and we had to raise a we told that our congregation was committed to was that we we need to raise $60,000 to raise for the for the building of this wall in additionally we needed to raise the money to pay out the that the remainder of the next year's rent. That's what we wanted to do in that that was at total at 1 month. That was racist.

What an amazing Joy with that was in that season again God provided electricians. He provided the plumber. We had to plumb off a bathroom back here and he came in and he did it for free. No urinal this time.

What I find fascinating and I just want to stop for second even before we came to the I think this is really important as we were talking about the what and the where we came to this building. I sit down every week with a gentleman named Dustin Hall icon Sunny. You probably should come Dustin but he is the pastor at Grace and Truth up after round I meet with him with a few other pastors every week. and for two years we have been meeting and at that time we were gathered for him and I had to call him and tell him hey, we're coming into your neck of the woods and they're concerned. How would he feel that? We're coming into his community that he has been faithful and serving. So I said that building on the other side of town Mister Vanderburgh said we could worship and he accepted our offer and had no idea. He does Jacob. You'll be amazed just yesterday. I was walking around the church looking at the growth here in the Tri-Cities and West Richland and I told the Lord but I need we need more help. Would you please send us another community?

But we know the what? And that God is integrating and moving and wooing and calling others to see the need and they did that is very seats that you are sitting have been helped being purchased by grace and truth.

And the resources they believe in one is here. Spell companion every time that they send a missionary on a missions trip Reliance supports them. Every time we send somebody out based support us and it's become an incredible relationship between the two churches God revealed his his ability to provide as we continue to feel the stretch and sew like we've always said before we sat out. Mr. Side office of mr. Vandevort. beautiful building and we asked the question I had to go back. Because if you don't know the backstory of why you're sitting where you're sitting you're sitting here because God has been incredibly gracious through and bad business decision and in light of what we have faced in the last over this summer Calista has been said there that we have one room in one of those rooms is really small.

Ravens known that we need more space for a kids. We knew that by building this room that will ultimately we were going to come into a problem with the kids ministry. And so we will as Elders were not willing while we were willing to consider the idea of renting an additional sweet, but the reality is if we were going to do that it becomes a purchase payment monthly payment and it is was on wise for us to sit there and think that the money would you Just don't want to be good stewards of the resources that God has given us has always been something that we have been strung strongly committed to us. And so we began or do you want us to do and in and I think it was in June 2018 event average employee was walking down the sidewalk day pops his head out and say what are you doing? How are you doing? And the gentleman says, you know what you guys need to take these two Suites over here. He's now don't think that's a good business decision for us as a church WIll. You guys just need to buy it. And that was the first time we had ever even thought that he would be interested up to this point. Mr. Vandiver has given us the impression that he is not interested and that opened our eyes maybe hits when did call waiting call what we did this we pray. retract for about a month prank Are we want to go we we know the watch was supposed to be but the wear? So I pray. Finally we gave adam the permission to make a phone call and he called mr. Vanderford and he asked the question. Would you be interested in selling to his reply? He said your timing is interesting.

Someone else is interested in the building. Just as we speak and he said I'm interested and Adam replied and said we're interested and he hung up the phone. To be honest, and of course, he asked me to vandervert if he would be willing to let us come and visit. Be honest when we heard that somebody else was interested to buy this building. I don't know how the other Elders felt with Father anxiety inside like part of my anxiety was is that One this is our building.

No, it's not. To I don't want to get in a bidding war. Oh. And we've invested in this building. And more you can take away you can make it right we can go into the store we can do whatever we can go into a field.

Not the garage we go wherever you want. We'll go there because we know the what is the where is where you decide? And we show up as an elders and we sat before mr. Vandiver and he taught secretary Asturias into his office. Here's the reality. What's at stake? If Mr. Vandevort wants to sell the building at full price. Strattera farted that's just the reality of it.

And so here we are sitting in his office and waiting for him and he comes in and and he sits down and I thought you was a business man. And he was a person poop the course, but I mean just a human being Grandpa and he says 73 My wife says she wants to travel. So that means I need to get into a position that I can retire. and literally got out of piece of paper and says this is what I owe. This is what I need. Because I want to add off to my family this business without any outstanding debts.

And the value of what he presented to us was a 2009 value which the building was empty.

And we went in saying Lord. What do you want us to do? We need Clarity when you confirmation and then he said this the other guy that wanted to buy this building with being a jerk.

Not so much you're being difficult. I want to sell it to you guys. A 2009 rate and whatever is the actual value I'll take as a non-profit donation. And so he said the numbers and I'm going to get to the numbers here in a second at a 1.9 million dollar value, which it's much more. aunt We walked out and we didn't tell him right then that we were going to buy it. Cuz one we got to figure out how we buy it.

We pray.

We understand what God is doing what we wants us to do, but we don't want to go where he has not sent us and we recognize that this is a growing Ministry that there is a this is a Sound Investment. There's a never cry ever increasing need and we over the years. I've grown with confidence that this is where he wants us. To be a community of people that Express The Gospel to gather people and worship to express the gospel so that we might live in our families and our workplaces in our schools being Lights of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. And this is merely we have recognized that this is not a Pursuit for our own Glory, but for the glory of Christ, and so What now I present to you now is the details and I hope that you would make Thursday night a priority at 6. We're going to answer any questions of what we need to raise what will be the significance of this about the fact that God has allowed us to rent is this And I have to go into school one. We haven't had to ask our people. every weekend to help with set-up and tear-down which God is called some Churches to do and that is great. And it's very important warning what I am grateful for. That's a church. It is always been our commitment and conviction that God has called us to to encourage our people to impact their communities for Christ to free you up with a Mobility to go work at you medical to serve at your medical to minister within the community Weatherby the refugee Community whether it be with serving soup or whether it means serving with the fostering system weather would be with Mary Minister as whether it be into your schools. That is what we sing you do. And we recognize that if we were to have to set up every week that would steal some time that you would have to serve anything your community and I am so grateful that got a lot of to be able to do it this way.

And God calls others and I love seeing God how he is open this building a church for people like Master Gardeners to come and use during the week. They love this place. Delta parking at love this place police department now is using this Fire department speaks highly of us and encourages others to use this place. It's fascinating how God over time is allowed this community now to become in the morning Christian blessing to this community this afternoon as I looked at. Mr. Vandiver, I find myself I found myself thinking is it really possible? The God would build this building before Adam and I even ever went to Seminary. Yes, is it possible that he made a 60 year old who wanted to retire in his seventies build this building so that when he wanted to get rid of it. He was not looking for a profit. Is that possible? Yes it is. Is it possible? The God after making the sixty-year-old build the building before we were even in college to leave it vacant for 10 years so that a small community could offer him an unwise business offer accepted it. Yes. I think it is.

I found myself just saying Lord. What are you doing? And that you opened all of this in the time of our need we need more children space are teachers we've heard you or hearing you if we were able to come down with our down payment. It would do several things for us to give us more kids space. It actually raised down lower our monthly payment. Is that possible? That's crazy and that we want to be able to provide seven classrooms for Rockets?

7 classrooms and now you would know what to do if she'll figure out a way to use all these classrooms with two additional bathrooms for the kids, but it'd be something for allow our children. We have almost 50 40 45 50 kids every week or hearing the gospel learning about Christ be excited about learning the stories with no Testament and New Testament and this will allow us to grow the other thing that we have on the table at mr. Vanderburgh. But before I see if we were to raise enough money has offered to us as well as the land adjacent to this building. An owl lamp if we decide is a community that is what God wants us to take whether it's now or later is that it would allow us to be able to put a recreational area place to grow in if you want to add and we'll answer some of these questions on Thursdays on Thursday night and answer that that is another possibility that we would we have thought as an elders and what we've decided is that God is putting before us we're going to put it before everyone and we're going to let us respond to that. And so here's the goal. We're asking you for this next year to consider. I know this is a unique service. The goal is is we need to raise 300,000. To raise what this is going to do is the lowest to get the loan that allows us to buy the building and allows us to do the renovations for the kids ministry. And keep our tenants are one of our aims is to keep a printer tenant and move them over here so he can print our stuff and move them over there so we can expand and he has agreed to do that what time begin discussions with that so we can grow our kids ministry. I think we can do that. I think I won't be asking you is after the service here. I'm a close up in a second cuz I want you to grab one of these by the elders both of y'all over there and Dave could be over there and in this is a lot about what I've been talking about and in the back were asking everybody from now to January 13th it to begin praying about what God is asking us to give towards this commitment and die if you are guests here. I hope that you just hearing what God has done. This is something for our for our family to consider. I've got to lead you to leave that's fine, but That is our goal is to raise $300,000 and we'll talk a little bit more on Thursday what that would accomplish second goal. If God puts it up and he raises the resources our next goal or Phase 2 would be is buying the lap and this would be an investment and it would be allow us to do that end. I won't let it will let let God decide on this and we'll talk about that.

Garnishment doing something. I feel that it is important that you are sitting in the seat. You are sitting by God's grace. But I don't know how I moved to this community. There were numerous churches in individuals that saw Adam and what he did and how he loves people and decided to invest in him and in me2 so that this could happen.

And I've always enjoyed the journey that God has loudest be as be a church that works along other side of alongside other churches in this community. And in the way that he has done. It has been amazing providing us a journey that we would not even drunk for ourselves. I would have never worked together for him Christian College as Professor or instructor by my doctor. I've got into lead us there and this last year in October that school received its accreditation. And I at one point was deciding to leave teaching there and it's a priest. We need you for a credit dacian and and Decor. I'm so grateful that we did and now we have another Ministry in this community that God is raised up. It's raising up leaders for the commute to express the love of Christ within their churches and we get to be a part of that is you selling candy bars made it look little in our eyes, but now God has allowed him to minister within that Community the gospel which no gospel or Ministry had existed before it's a God does stuff and he removes people and he grow makes people old. To do and work for his glory and for his purposes. And so now the wire is before us and if he wants us to keep running will keep running, but we think as the elders that God is doing something and that we need to respond in obedience. The what is always been you are the light of the world a city on a hill cannot be hidden or does any light or lamp put it under a basket but on the lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house let your light shine before men in such a way and there are many ways of that happens and Minnie see different season better that occurs that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven. Let's pray.

What are the what is never changed and in a season?