A few days ago I was reading an article about a church in Chicago that is completing a 33 MILLION dollar building project. I must admit that when I saw the price tag of this facility my alarm bells went OFF. That's a Heaven of a lot of money. Okay, now that I'm calmed down, let me say this. Some time ago I learned about a concept called, "Form follows Function". This phrase/concept derives from the Architectural world. The basic idea behind this concept is that the form that something takes is preceded by the function of said object. In other words, "....the purpose of a building should be the starting point for its design". So, I guess that I can agree for now that the expense should be a secondary concern. The first/primary concern should be the "Function" of the building.
As Followers of Christ, the Scripture being our authority, we have much clarity as to the Purpose of Christ's body on Earth. We exist to glorify God by fulfilling His Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20). Our Function as Christ's body is to produce a people who reflect both the Character and Priorities of Christ. In simpler terms, we are to "Make Disciples" of all Nations.
This being said, our buildings (i.e., our structural forms) should reflect and support our/His mission. The FORM our buildings take should be in line with our FUNCTION of disciple making. If we're building or even purchasing structures that are merely "Beautiful" but NOT "Purposeful" then we are not making good use of God's money. If we're building or purchasing structures that aren't in keeping with the biblical "Function" of God's people, then we are wasting God's money. If we're building or purchasing buildings that are Pragmatic but arent in line with the Biblical mission (i.e., Function) then we are wasting God's money.
Back to the money. IF it costs 33 Million to build or purchase an effective and functional and aesthetically pleasing Disciple making factory, then I have no problem. But if it costs 33 Million or 2 million for that matter and at the end of the day not many disciples are made then the cost is unjustified and wasteful. One more thought. If the 33 million dollars becomes a practical obstacle to effectively accomplishing our mission then we need to find another strategy. In other words, if the "Form" hinders the "Function", then the "Form" must be changed. May I add this also, if the "Form" costs only $50,000 and YET it HINDERS our "Function" of Disciple-making then we must find a better form. To be perfectly honest, we really don't need buildings to "Make Disciples".
The Mission is everything.
Shalom.
