Jumping Through Hoops

It's really unbelievable how many hoops our church has to jump through in order to get into a building. We're currently looking for a new space for our church offices and teen center. The space we're using currently is absolutely awful, completely unusable for anyone with a disability, and not that safe either. We've found a great location that used to be a karate gym. We want to move in. The owner wants to rent it to us. To a logical person, you'd think that would be the end of that. But not so...

We have to make sure it's properly zoned for our use, get a usage license from the city, approval from the planning department, building department, police department, fire department, public works department, the city clerk, health department, do a total remodel on the bathrooms for handicap accessibility, make sure there's adequate parking, iron out the details of the lease, and probably 3 dozen other things that I don't know about yet!

The good news is that, so far, everybody with the city has been easy to work with. Pray that that will continue to be the case.

I know most businesses do everything or say anything to cut corners and keep the city or fire department off of their backs when it comes to stuff like this. Everybody lies and most cities have come to expect this. I've even known well-meaning churches to get caught up in this game of dishonesty. I just can't do it! I want so badly to have the best possible working relationship with our city that I refuse to take possession of a building dishonestly. I would rather bite the bullet and jump through the hoops with the best attitude I can muster. I refuse to let Living Hope be one more church on the list of churches who have lied to or taken advantage of city agencies. We'll meet in the park before we compromise our witness.

Join me in praying for all the department heads and city officials. Pray that God would reveal Himself to all of them, that He would bless their families, and that He would help them see our vision to love and serve the city of Dixon.