Building Our Own Worship Facility
WORKING TOWARD OUR OWN WORSHIP FACILITY
Portland Center has lived most of its life renting space from others, in fact, 10 places in 10 years. During this time, we faced the following challenges: 1) Not being able to choose the most effective times for worship services, workshops and classes, 2) Not having facilities for child care, 3) Not having sufficient facilities for our size, 4) Not having sufficient facilities for spiritual ambience, and most devastating 5) Loss of members due to the instability of constant moves.
TRUSTING GOD, TRUSTING THE PRINCIPLES
In August 2002, with our congregation numbering around 50, most of those challenges ended with a commitment to the success of this ministry, some creative risk-taking, and a huge leap of faith. The core members of PCSG embarked on what we hoped would be a 5-year-or-less journey toward ownership of our own worship facility. 2010 marks 8 years, and it looks as if we are now ready to take the next step by finding the space we want and beginning services there click here for more information. Here is what we did this last decade:
THE PLAN
Taking a lesson from some of the more prosperous worship centers, we decided to fundraise in a way that would create more revenue while also teaching the basics of our faith. Casey wrote "Pardon My Dust...I'm Remodeling" about remodeling our character, and "Ready, Willing & Terrified" about taking risks. Now we have put the same principles to work in our Center. Using every bit of financial credit we could obtain, we purchased a small home, a fixer-upper, that we used as our worship facility and remodeled together. Once remodeled, the home was sold, and the excess monies were used for a combination of operational expenses, the purchase of another fixer, remodeling costs, payments on our credit loans; and, when the original loan was paid off, the extra money has been used to invest in real estate. When the value of all of our real estate has reached enough to build our own facility, the properties will be sold, a building fund will be established, and the actual construction of our dream will commence.
Our first endeavor succeeded greatly, and we went on to successfully remodel and sell 16 more homes by October, 2008. One of those turned out to be a large piece of property in the Gateway Renewal District of Portland, an area which has since been designated for huge central Portland development. As such, our land was rezoned before we had a chance to sell it, and the result is that the value zoomed upward. We remodeled the home and placed a renter in it. Developers are beginning to consider the acreage where this home exists, and there may come a time in the near future when we will either sell it, or use the property for our own center, perhaps picking up a couple more parcels around it. We are now ready to embark on our 18th home.
PRAYER, PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE
We thank the members who have stuck with us over the years, and who are dedicated to seeing this ministry survive and persevere. We have all found a joy and faith beyond anything a usual worship setting can possibly offer. Intimate fellowship, and the awe of watching a sow's ear become a silk purse gives most of us an abundance of faith and hope for remodeling our own lives successfully.
We hope you'll visit us to see what we're like, and to become a regular if you like what you see. In the mean time, enjoy our website and contact us with any questions or ideas.
Blessings,
Rev. Casey Moffett-Chaney
Rev. Berdell Moffett-Chaney