Our goal is to take this building and turn it into something that would bless the community.  It will house a community church, food and clothing ministries, after-school programs with a state of the art computer lab, adult literacy and networking resources with other entities in the area.  Restoration of the building, though, is only the first step in our overall plan to transform the community.  When its all said and done, we will provide parks, housing, safety and security for this community.   The model we are using is found in Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and Haggai, which gives the account of restoring Jerusalem.

 

The estimated cost to take on the transformation of this building was $1.3 million.  We didn’t have the money.  As a matter of fact, we didn’t have even a fraction of the money with which to do the project, but we knew God was calling us to it.  With a 100% vote from the voting membership of our church God’s mandate was clear and accepted.  From that point, we have seen one exciting thing after another.

 

Some have been asking how we are accomplishing such a thing, but before I answer how, I must first address why.  You see, the first question we must answer in the things of God is why.  When we know why, the how always follows.  If I start with how, I will become discouraged by the daunting size of the task at hand.  So let me address why we would want to transform a condemned building in need of redemption in one of the worst sections of our city using three images from scripture.

 

 

The book of Ruth tells of an amazing love affair between an outcast foreigner who was in need of redemption through Boaz, her kinsman redeemer.  Before Boaz, there was another who had the first right to redeem the land, but chose not to because he didn’t want Ruth.  His fear was that she and any children he had by here would jeopardize his estate.   Boaz was different.  He wanted Ruth.  In order to get Ruth, he had to redeem the land.  In order to get Ruth, he had to put his inheritance and estate at risk but he desired her so much he did so.  Those who redeem the land win the rights to Ruth.  Redeeming the building isn’t about the building; it’s about Ruth.  There are Ruth’s in the land who need redeemed.   It’s always about Ruth.

 

 

How do you transform a community?  Restore the winepress to its purpose. Most of you reading this know the story of Gideon very well.   Gideon, God’s mighty man of valor, was hiding in a winepress sifting wheat while the enemy invaded the land sending God’s people into famine and seclusion.  You don’t sift wheat in a winepress.  You press grapes and produce wine.  You crush grapes and provide something that refreshes, rejuvenates and nourishes the people in the land.  Yet when the enemy invaded the land, it was stripped of its purpose.  That building will be restored to its former purpose.  That building will not be stripped of its purpose any longer because an enemy has invaded the land and oppressed God’s people.  Our churches were never meant to be winepresses where the men of God hide from the enemy hoping to have enough to survive while the enemy ravishes the land.   The 11^th Street Project is restoring the winepress to its purpose so that a life giving fruit flows out of it.

 

 

God told Jeremiah to buy his cousin’s field in Judah.  What a crazy idea.  Jeremiah had been prophesying the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the captivity of God’s people, only to now be told by Him to buy a field.  Why would Jeremiah buy a field in a land that would be possessed by the enemy?  It was a sign and a symbol of God’s future plans for that city.  A prophetic word is often accompanied by a prophetic act.  Jeremiah bought a field in the land of the enemy.  He bought it with his own funds.  He had it witnessed, signed, sealed and then buried it so it would last a long time.  When he signed that deed, he sealed the deal of what God was going to do in the future on behalf of that devastated land.  The 11^th Street Project is Jeremiah’s field in the land of the enemy. With our own funds as the down payment of what God is going to do in that land, we declare this to be a prophetic act to coincide with God’s prophetic future.  When our people signed on the line, they sealed the deal for what God is going to do.

 

In the beginning, I didn’t know how we would ever accomplish such a monumental task, but I knew why we needed to do it.  I have great people in a church that caught the vision and understood why we were doing the project.  They have given because they know why.  They have worked because they know why.   The answer to why gave birth to faith that brought the how into reality.  We knew we didn’t possess what we needed but we knew why therefore had the faith to begin. 

 

 

So many times in our lives we want to know how God is going to do something or how we are going to do what He has asked of us.  The reality of what you have in hand and what is needed is often so overwhelming that it is hard to begin.  You know what we found out? Faith doesn’t follow the funds; funds follow the faith.  

We needed a roof that would cost in excess of $75,000.00.  We didn’t have it, or even a fraction of it.  We received an offering from our church with a goal of $30,000.00.  When it was all said and done, the people gave $76,000.00.  To say the least, it was a defining moment in the life of our church and this project.  We entered into a two-year capital campaign with a goal of $400,000.00 only to have our people commit to over $572,000.00.  Those who had solidified why in their hearts had made a step of faith that would be the catalyst of how we would accomplish it.

 

 

Even though our people had made a significant investment as well as a commitment to the future it still only accounted for about half of the funding needed.   Where was the rest going to come from?    My God, Jehovah Jireh, is still the Difference Maker.  He is the one who asks you to give what you can give, do what you can do and He will make up the difference.  He has been making it up in ways we never thought of.  For example we have received a grant from an organization in excess of $112,000.00, with another grant of $95,000.00 to be awarded this year.  Through our local congressman, we have received a grant in excess of $71,000.00.  Local organizations have given to the project.  Other churches have given to the project, as well as the Pennsylvania-Delaware District A/G.  

 

The feeding of the 5,000 began when the disciples were willing to give their 5 loaves and two fish to the Difference Maker so He could meet the needs of the hungry.  The 11^th Street Project is a modern-day picture of some disciples giving what they had so the “Difference Maker” could once again provide for the hungry. 

 

What are we hoping to accomplish with this project?  What is it that we are looking for?  When I, and many of the people who have worked, contributed and prayed for this project are dead and gone, what do we want to remain?  Are we looking for people to speak well of us?  Are we looking to build a name for ourselves?  No, we want one thing to remain – a lasting legacy.

 

Wicked King Ahab came to Naboth, who I believe was a righteous man, and asked him for his vineyard.  Why did he want it?  He wanted to take the righteous man’s vineyard so he could make it a vegetable garden.  Isn’t that just the like the devil?  He is always seeking to plant his seeds in our vineyard so his fruit will grow.  In order to get him to give it to him Ahab promised Naboth a better vineyard than what he had.  The devil is always promising us something better than what we have so he can get what he wants.  Naboth responded to Ahab by stating:  “the Lord forbid that I would give you the inheritance of my fathers.”  The vineyard was an inheritance handed down to Naboth by his fathers and would be an inheritance he would pass on to his sons.  The enemy always wants to steal our inheritance so there is nothing for the next generation. 

 

We have an inheritance that has been given to us by our Heavenly Father.  The enemy has been planting his seeds in a place that doesn’t belong to him, attempting to steal the inheritance.  We will not give up the inheritance.  As a matter of fact, the reason for The 11^th Street Project is so we can pass on the inheritance to the next generation. 

 

As we pass on our spiritual inheritance we plan to leave a lasting legacy.  The legacy won’t be a building, parks, houses or sidewalks; it will be one of the two things that last forever – the souls of men.  Men, women, boys and girls transformed by the power of a mighty God will be our legacy.  Drug addicts, alcoholics, thieves and the hopeless redeemed by a loving God will be our legacy.  The buildings may one day be destroyed, but the legacy that matters the most will last forever.