God, Change, and Baptist Temple

Guest blog by Kay Richardson

In 1993 I went on a youth mission trip as an adult sponsor to Washington DC. The church we stayed at and ministered to was very different than the Baptist Temple Church at that time. They had different groups worshiping at different times, they fed the community, they had a clothes closet, the homeless slept around the building. Little did I know that experience would prepare me for what Baptist Temple’s mission is today.

In the past few years, members of BTC have experienced a lot of change. Five different churches rent space and worship on our campus. Some of our activities and times of worship include those churches on our campus. VBS is now a campus-wide/community event. Our gym is rented nightly by different sports organizations. In recent days, a funeral planning service has set up an office area and added their signs to our building. We now have solar panels all across our roof.

Through these different churches and organizations, God has blessed us financially along with the tithes and gifts from our own members. And because of that, we can continue to minister to our members and to the community!

 

The BTC of 2018 is very different from the BTC of years gone by. We can either lament what was, or we can rejoice in what is and is to come! I believe God wants us to embrace the times of change. Look around—God is at work in many different ways!

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Interacting with the Community

I spent the day yesterday at the Brunnemann Bldg. It houses our thrift shop and will soon be the headquarters of our Community Assistance Network.

We set up tables outside to display the physical manifestations of the support of our friends for our ministry. We usually sell clothes at bargain prices. Some are dropped off by church members, some by other churches, some by people in our community and a large amount by Carl and Gerald Willis who recover unsold items from estate sales throughout the county.

We often get non-clothes items that are difficult to store and must be moved fast. We held a sidewalk sale to find new homes for these treasures. The amount of money raised was not record-setting but it is multiplied by the fact that the San Antonio Food Bank provides food for us at 15 cents a pound (often less) to feed the hungry.

Another benefit was a good opportunity for me to soak in some sunshine and breath fresh air. A big plus was interacting with church volunteers and our community. I also had three conferences with people who are important supporters of our ministry. My apologies for my divided attention but I hope you saw the tremendous potential for changing lives that our network of ministries provides.

One woman took advantage of our 10 cent T-shirts. She bought 60. Although she was a food pantry client, she wanted to purchase these Ts to hand out to the laborers who worshiped at her church. They could not afford clean clothes.

A couple swept up a large number of items. They were priced to move and will move to an area where they will yield a profit. In this case we are fueling the economy.

A more savvy buyer picked numerous choice items. She would resell them at a boutique. Again, a boost to the local economy.

Several teachers picked up some treasures from our bounty of books. Many parents did as well.

One family moved here from Kentucky and were rebuilding the knick-knacks that make a house a home.

This was a day of victory:

1. Many people found treasures for a bargain.
2. We kept a large number of items out of our landfills
3. Many people turned their trash into treasure
4. All the profits will help the folks we serve break the bonds of physical and spiritual poverty.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the success:

1. Those who gave items
2. Those who gathered them.
3. Those who set up yesterday.
4. Those who enjoyed the heat and ministered to our neighbors.
5. Those helped put stuff back.
6. AND ESPECIALLY those who said LET'S DO THIS AGAIN : )

The bottom line is not the dollars raised ($285) but the number of people blessed (no way to count)

If this story has blessed you Let Me Know.

There's Always Enough Money

I don’t know who said it first but it’s worth repeating: “There’s always enough money to do God’s work.” I believe (strongly) that the offerings of God’s people ought to be the primary source of support for ministry. However, that does not shut the door to other ways of raising money. Churches have developed some very creative ways of supplementing their income to fund ministries.

1. The one most often used is the fundraiser. The church sells something (food, candy, calendars, cookbooks, etc.) It is usually an item people would not ordinarily buy.

2. Cost recovery for special events is also common. This includes selling tickets to a concert or training event (or love offering), fees for daycare, payment for meals, etc. This means that only the people using the service pay for it.

3. Some share space (rent, lease, split costs) with another organization. This could be another church, a school, or a non-profit group. The idea is to use the building at times when it sits empty. This is particularly commendable when the other organization is doing work that the church finds valuable and it introduces a source of income outside the church membership.

4. Running a business such as a daycare, bookstore, thrift shop or cafeteria is done by churches who want to use the proceeds to fund caring ministries such as a food pantry. This offers a service people are looking for, is a source of income outside the church membership, and can provide jobs in the community.

5. Some churches actually operate businesses such as moving companies and janitorial services that provide jobs for people who transitioning from addictions and/or homelessness. These businesses fund the treatment and housing of the people being served while training them in job skills.

6. Another source of income is grant money from government, religious and non-religious organizations. These grants can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars to do tasks for which the church is called.

I am sure that there are other means of raising funds for ministry along with variations on those mentioned above. I do not want to get into a theology of fundraising. That’s for another time. I’m just saying that it’s rarely money that limits ministry; it is lack of leadership and vision