Cam's right in so many ways. The church in Buffalo is called to do so much more than simply maintain buildings. I am the pastor of another church with a large building (Lafayette Ave Presbyterian Church: www.elmwoodjesus.org ). We absolutely value our building, not only for its beauty, but also for what goes on in it: Loaves and Fishes, the Right Place for Kids, block clubs, AA meetings, discussion groups, and of course, our own worship and service to the neighborhood. On the other hand, how much should a church spend on maintenance? I am challenging my congregation so that we can grow in membership and in generosity to the point where we can spend more time and money outside the building, doing Jesus-type stuff, which I believe is our true call.

Buildings might have to close at some point. Congregations can share buildings, but people don't normally want to give up a place that is so special to them. It takes courage, humility, and faith. Fortunately, those are just the kinds of values that churches are called to develop! I know that several congregations are considering the best use of their buildings, and my hope is that we can work together within and across denominations to best serve our neighbors.

A church represents timeless values.....if a church views a building as disposable then they shouldnt be suprised if people somehow translate those values to say that human life is disposable.

A church congregation that acts as a good steward towards its building and its community will be setting the example that our body is also gods temple and we must be stewards of our body and our children and our families.

This is where I think that the churches have really failed in their message of eternal values. You cannot just say that you representing eternal values in one place and disposable values in another.