This morning actionchurch volunteers unloaded, unpacked, and moved pallets of new chairs into our soon to be completed auditorium (affectionately known as “the box”) in North York.  Thanks to you, our friends, family, (and even many friends we have not yet met) will have a comfortable place to sit and join us as we celebrate, eat, pray, learn, laugh and who-knows-what-else in the new venue.  It’s pretty amazing to think about the possibilities these chairs, that only cost $16.48/each, (Yeah, I think I’ll remember that amount forever :-)  will bring to serve and love the people of our community.  Congratulations!  YOU did it!  Thank you so much.

Here’s the thing that I want you to consider, though.  After shipping and tax, the chairs cost roughly $5000.00.   Imagine if several weeks ago we would have just simply asked for $5000.00 to purchase chairs.  My guess is that most of you would have thought to yourself, “Wow, I hope someone has an extra five grand.  I’d love to help…and I really hope we get the chairs…but that’s way outside my ability to handle”.   But, instead of asking for $5000.00 we simply stated the need for chairs at $16.48 each, and asked for EVERYONE to give what they could.  Some gave one chair.  Some gave several chairs.  Some gave a few chairs each week. A few gave 10 or more chairs at a time.  But, the amazing thing is that you trusted that it was possible, you gave what you could, and in an incredibly short period, YOU gave MORE THAN ENOUGH chairs for our friends and guests!  YOU did it!  Thats what YOU can do.

I want you to consider one more thing.  The chairs are only a SMALL part of the story.  One of YOU purchased and donated a building that previously served as home to nightclubs to be the home of Loving God, Loving people, and taking action in York county!  Many of you removed over 20,000 pounds (You read that right) of trash and debris from that building!!!   Many more of you have shared your money, talents, time, sweat, and tools to construct a new home for our church inside those walls!   It’s happening. Carpet is being installed.  Walls are being painted.  We are less than 3 weeks away from having our first Sunday service in our first permanent 24/7 venue.  YOU did it.  That’s what YOU can do!

There is much more still to be done.  Much more effort and money needed to complete this project in the upcoming weeks.  If I gave you a list of the items still needing to be purchased, and the work needing to be completed, you would probably correctly say to yourself: “Wow…I hope all that stuff gets done…I hope someone donates the money necessary…It’s just way too much for me to handle.”   Please remember the chairs.  YOU don’t have to do it all…but…if all of you do something, we CAN complete this amazing project on time.   We have been blessed far beyond what we deserve by God with this opportunity.  I’m simply asking that you trust that this is possible, and do what you can…serve as you can…give what you can. You will be amazed at the final result…and YOU WILL be glad that you did.   That’s what YOU can do!