House of Decisions
Matt 7:26-27
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
"As an architect, I have designed and built homes, churches, schools, offices, and hospitals. No matter what the project, all of them were begun with a soils report, so we would know how we could support the structure. None of them started by building the attic, and yet that's precisely what most congregations do - they start a new project or program by defining their resources and deciding how little they can spend to accommodate their needs!
The "House of Decisions" helps congregations keep first things first, by showing that, before starting anything, they must first ground their project on the bedrock of God's Word.
Then, they should ask God to give them our best understanding of the work (calling) He wants them to do. This forms the foundation for all their future decisions about land, facilities, staffing, programs, and resources.
They should also ask God to help them prioritize their ministries and to develop a simple, clear process for accomplishing their calling. Without these priorities, there is a real possibility that they would spend their resources on the wrong things! Also, without a simple and clear process there is a real possibility that they will render their work ineffective from too many programs.
Then and only then are they ready to start defining the parameters of their project or programs. By having their calling, priorities, and process clearly defined, they can make decisions about land, facilities, staffing, and programs in a timely way with a minimum of risk.
Finally, they are ready to understand all the resources available to them and then apply these resources in the best way possible. Whether it is new land, a new facility, additional staff, or a new program, the House of Decisions helps congregations understand where they are in the decision-making process, so they can focus on the most important issues first.
The diagram above also describes how the services of SDG help congregations at each step - literally from conception of an idea through construction and occupancy of the finished facilities! For more information about each of these, please open the "Services" tab in the website.
We hope you will consider the House of Decisions before your next project, involving God each step of the way . . . to His glory!"