First I must say: Shame on the Baptists and Assemblies of God
for cutting a tax deal with the Italian government. Lobbying and subsidies are
not how the Kingdom of God is built.
As far as the Free Churches, free yourself from the building
mentality. You don't need it.
Meet in homes, rent something, be free to move on. Don't make
the meeting dependent on the place. Don't become an institution with a
bureaucracy.
Don't be dependent on a 'pastor'. If a group is blessed with
growth and you reach a point where a group is too big for a home or small
rental space.... then don't be hindered by being tied to a clergyman. Other men
need to be elders and teach, the so-called 'pastor' if he's a better teacher
can make the rounds, even hitting several meetings on a Sunday.
Schedule mid-week meetings for different nights if need be.
Find a way. Don't get stuck on having a building. Only modern church models
demand it. The New Testament Church flourished without any such apparatus.
The truth is that there are always places to meet... maybe
not the most comfortable. Maybe people will have to bring their own folding
chairs. The fledgling Churches in Africa and underground churches in Asia put
us to shame on this point.
If congregations are folding because you can't find a place
to meet... then read Hebrews 11 again and revisit Church history. Our modern
bourgeois worship practices and sensibilities are out of accord with the bulk
of Church history and Scripture itself.
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