Hill City Building Campaign

Dear members, alumni, and friends of Hill City Baptist Church,

Since our inception fifteen years ago, we have been something of a nomadic church. This has come with both blessings and challenges. On the one hand, we are grateful for God’s faithfulness during this time and for how his fatherly discipline has trained us to be increasingly dependent on Him (Hebrews 12:11). On the other hand, the fact that we are nearing the capacity of our current space and are unable to host additional opportunities for fellowship, teaching, and ministry throughout the week also means we are operating at the barest level of functionality.

At the intersection of these needs, we find ourselves at a standstill. Although we have diligently been searching for a building for the past ten years, the few that have come up are almost immediately purchased by entities other than churches with pockets much deeper than ours. In a city that used to be full of churches, it is a tragedy seeing this legacy of light and truth fade into memory.

In light of these things, and upon much prayer and consultation with others, we have decided to embark on a building project with the goal of purchasing land and constructing a place of worship.

A Spirit-Wrought Generosity

What we see in the Scriptures is that such projects are rarely instituted from the top down. That is, where a leadership clique “catches a vision” for some unnecessary, extravagant project and then manipulates, guilts, or threatens others to help realize it. Even in the case of genuine need, as we believe our case to be, a true and lasting work of generosity must be stirred up and sustained by the Spirit. We see this, for example, in Exodus 36: 2-7 as it pertains to the building of the tabernacle:

Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

First of all, notice these weren't compelled offerings, but "freewill offering." In other words, they were gifts of devotion offered from joyful hearts. Next, notice the nature of their giving: “They had to be restrained from bringing more.” Their generosity wasn’t a careful and calculated affair; it was overflowing and abundant. It was the kind of generosity that can only be explained as the Spirit’s work among his people.

We witness this "Spirit-wrought generosity" again in 1 Chronicles 29: 14-17, during the building of the temple:

"Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly . . . The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly . . . But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity."

Here, David reminds the crowds that their generosity wasn’t self-generated. Not only the materials themselves, but the willingness to give them comes from the hand of the Lord. This is also why David says in the Psalms that unless the Lord builds the house the builders labour in vain, and why we have taken this verse as the theme for our campaign. We are acutely aware that the strength, enthusiasm, and resources to build are all a gift from God.

We see this disposition yet again in 2 Corinthians 8: 1-4 as it pertains to the collection for the saints in Jerusalem:

 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

Here, note the circumstances of the Macedonian's generosity. It took place in the midst of trial, in extreme poverty, and even “beyond their ability.” In fact, they “pleaded . . . for the privilege of sharing in this service.” The belief that one should only give when it is convenient, or that generosity is something only wealthy Christians should practice, or that giving should never come with any cost to us, is not something we see in the Scriptures. What we see instead is a poor women giving her last penny, a boy giving away his entire lunch, and a poor church giving beyond their means.

The idea that we should give only what is safe and comfortable is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of God’s grace and provision. It is a defeatist, unbiblical, and irresponsible position to take. If the Macedonians “in extreme poverty” were able to give beyond their ability, then we ought to strive for for a similar impulse in our own midst. On this note, and as it applies to our own membership, as the regular needs of the church will continue through this season, our hope and expectation is that building donations would be on top of, not in place of, our regular tithing habits.

In an attempt to be “wise master builders,” we want to go deeper than simply relying on people’s good graces for a project such as this. Such a posture would be naive, unwise, and abortive. If we’re honest, none of us naturally inclines to giving -- especially when it hurts. Ultimately, only God can create generous hearts, which is really the only kind of generosity we’re interested in: generosity that is fundamentally a fruit of the Spirit.

Our appeal is to you, members and supporters of Hill City Baptist Church. But ultimately, our hope is in God, “Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20).

If you are interested in supporting this project, please continue reading for more information.

Sincerely,

The Elders of Hill City Baptist Church

NEXT STEPS

While we always allow for the Lord to work and provide in ways we do not anticipate, we are also responsible to make wise plans and steward our resources well. To that end, we believe it is the will of the Lord that we work and give together with the goal of purchasing property and constructing a church building for the worship of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the gospel in and through our congregation.

Considering the cost of real estate, and the likelihood of significant constructions costs even if we could find an appropriate building, we believe it is prudent to pursue the option of purchasing a property and building ourselves. In God’s providence, our congregation is blessed with an unusual diversity of skills and experience necessary for constructing a building, and we should not overlook this fact. By designing and constructing ourselves, we are also able to ensure the property is what we need, and not what we don’t. The goal is for a physical space that will allow for the fellowship of the saints, the preaching of the Word, and various ministries for generations to come.

Goal:

To raise $3 000 000 for the purchase of property, development, and construction of a building for Hill City Baptist Church.

Plan:

Phase 1- Purchase Property

Phase 2- Develop Property and Design Building

Phase 3- Construct Building

Pray:

-That the Lord would be honoured and His grace exalted in our generosity and sacrifice (2 Cor. 8:1-15).

-That our congregation would be unified and stand "side by side" for the sake of the gospel (Phil. 1:27).

-That we would repent of sin and unbelief wherever it is found (Psalm 66:18).

-That the Lord would provide the knowledge, skills, and financial resources required to build a church building (Ex. 31: 1-11).

Give:

To ensure donations towards the building campaign are designated appropriately, they must clearly be identified as such.

1. Cash or cheques: Please mark the cheque memo line or envelope of your donations with “Building Fund." All unmarked gifts will be directed towards the Hill City general operating fund.

2. Pledge: Notify us of your pledge amount through admin@hillcitybaptist.com.

3. Online through our Canada Helps building campaign page. Please note that Canada Helps charges a "transaction fee" of 3.5 - 4%.

4. E-transfer @ donations@hillcitybaptist.com. These should be accompanied by a follow-up email to the same address with your name, address, and a note designating the gift is intended the building fund.

Many thanks and may the Lord richly bless you. Check back for updates on this page!