You’ve probably noticed. Things are getting a little crazy around here. Saint Paul’s attendance has more than tripled in the two years since we moved into our facility here on Creighton Road. We have space in our three worship services ONLY if everybody does not come on any given Sunday. We are sorely in need of educational, recreational and administrative spaces to accommodate growth and service those of us who are already here. Here’s what we know:

1. If we are going to continue to be a place where we can invite our friends to learn about God and grow we need to do something to expand our facility.
2. If we’re serious about cultivating our children and youth, building a world class academy where children can be educated from based on a Christian world view: we need to build educational and recreational space to support that vision.
3. We are in ongoing discussions to significantly ramp up the way we serve the under resourced in our own community.
4. We want to find a way to completely pay off our debt, build the needed facilities, establish appropriate reserves and continue to build our ministries while giving away anything and everything Saint Paul’s has developed to any church around the world that can use it.

These are obviously crazy plans. Who can do all of this? Without God, the obvious answer is no one. But still, we feel this is what we should do. It’s not really that different than the long line of people God did “crazy” things through in the Bible. From Noah to Abraham to Moses to Nehemiah to Paul whom we study today, God continually called people to build things for him that seemed crazy to others. Maybe that’s why the Apostle Paul said this to the new church in the city of Corinth:

2 Corinthians 5:13
If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. (NIV)

It’s not just the crazy growth in the number of people God is reaching here. It’s the crazy growth going on inside all of us. It’s the marriages that have been restored and kids lives that have changed as a result. It’s those who have found a place of healing and growth through a tough crisis. It’s those who have found the reason for their unrest and dissatisfaction lies in deeper questions about their creator that they need to wrestle with. It’s the families of children who have found mentors who believe in them. And in all of this, at the deepest level, it’s those who have found a real relationship with God for the first time in their life. That’s the growth we are responding to.

We’re asking everyone to begin the journey of discovering what role God wants YOU to play in this next crazy part of our community. Specifically, we are asking everyone to take three spiritual steps:

1. Surrender
   Learn or relearn what it means to treat everything as if it is God’s. Be able to say to God “Everything I have is YOURS.” This doesn’t necessarily mean give it all away, but recognize that it’s all God’s and we need to seek God’s guidance on how best to use what we have.
2. Listen
   Ask God “What is it that you want from me at this point in my journey?” In particular, “How should I use my time, talent and financial resources?”
3. Do It.
   Follow through and actually do what we personally feel God is asking us to do.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Actually, it is. It’s simple, but not easy. Some might even call it crazy

Questions to Ask

1. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. Ask yourself whether you are currently a “cheerful giver.” If not, what do you think is in your way?
2. Is there any area of your life that you have a hard time saying to God, “This is yours, God, not mine. I’ll do with it what you want?”

Just You and God

Here’s a prayer to say this week and every week over the next few months: “God, I do want to surrender everything I am and have to you. Show me what that means. Specifically, show me what my role should be. Show me what to pledge and give in time, talent and finances during this Crazy Campaign. And help me do it.”