Lifehouse Update

Dear Lifehouse Family of Friends,

I would rather speak to you in person, but I feel strongly that I need to communicate what’s in my heart and to offer you insight into our current situation at Lifehouse during this week. Please take a few minutes and read this entire email so that you can be fully informed and can pray appropriately. I know it’s the length of an novel, but I’m putting my heart and passion into this email.

First, let me tell you what’s going on since many of you may not aware:

• Hagerstown Cinemas (where we meet) is going up for auction on 3/17 (next Tues),
  
• We haven’t been concerned about this auction, since the Cinema company has a 10 year lease on the building and we are under their lease,
  
• We understood that whoever bought the property would be legally obligated to honor that lease agreement,
  
• However, this past Sunday morning, we learned that the lease agreement between the owner and Diamond Cinemas has become voided,
  
• While we could challenge this with Diamond, it would not keep us in the building and would only tie us up in court.

What are our options?

• Hope that whoever purchases the building would honor our lease and continue to lease us the building,
  
• Bid at the auction (starting bid of $995,000) to purchase the building, buy it and begin using it as a church and for other business purposes,
  
• Move into another building,
  
• We do not have money in savings for a deposit and we are not currently in a position to borrow a substantial amount of money (the bank would require that our income/ donations be well beyond our expenses, and they are not),
  
• We have invested significantly into the theater with the understanding that we would be here for several years.
  

As the lead pastor of Lifehouse, it is my responsibility to lead the church wisely with direction from God and counsel from our pastors and advisors. I have been in prayer and fasting about this matter from Sunday evening. A church must NOT make business decisions about these matters, but must clearly follow the direction of God to fulfill His Cause for our church.

We don’t exist to own buildings and land, to make money or to pay salaries. The Church exists to share God’s love and the message of Salvation through Jesus with everyone in the world. That is our Cause! Lifehouse exists to reach this 4-state region with the relevant and powerful message of Jesus, and to show people God’s love through compassion and being an authentic community or “family of friends”.

God has led me clearly to plant and pastor Lifehouse, and I can honestly say that He has guided us supernaturally in each step we have taken.

It’s my responsibility to lead during this uncertain time and give direction to the leaders of our church. So, it’s strange to write you and tell you that I’m still waiting to know how to lead. Allow me to explain:

When God called me to start Lifehouse in Hagerstown, MD, He spoke clearly to me through Joshua 1,
I will give you every place where you set your foot… 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I have held onto this passage and followed it closely, and now feel that Joshua 3 speaks to where we are at as a church. God spoke this to Joshua:
“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”

What does this mean for us?

• The Ark represents the presence of God. And God said, make sure My presence goes before you, and keep your distance. The people had to stay back far enough so that God could lead and they wouldn’t get ahead of Him, because “they had never been this way before.”
  
• We’ve never been this way before, and I’ve never led in this direction before,
  
• Secondly, God wants to do amazing things among us, but He wants us to know that it was Him and not our planning or brilliant thinking that made the amazing things happen,
  
• We must “consecrate” ourselves- that means “to be set apart for God’s use” OR “to be made holy". God wants us to pray, confess our sins, and keep our attitudes focused on Him,
  
• I don’t lead the church, God does, and it’s my job to hear from Him, follow the Bible, and only lead in the direction that is right and biblical,
• We’re not doing anything until I know God has clearly spoken and directed us,
• We are praying, fasting, and diligently seeking God,
  
• I (and our pastoral team) am bold enough to follow God by faith in whatever direction He leads, and I know that He will do miraculous things through Lifehouse (He does it every week)!
  

What do I know God is saying?

• We will THRIVE in ’09. I know that God spoke that this year we would THRIVE, flourish, and possess the land. Isaiah 58:12 really caught my attention: “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” 
  
• To THRIVE means we will reach many more people with the message of salvation, and many will make Lifehouse their home church,
  
• It means we will have a great impact in our city through partnering with other churches and doing compassion ministries (helping people),
  
• It means that we will thrive in resources- that God will bless us with abundance- to show that there is a distinction between those who obey God and those who don’t,
  
• Therefore, we must fast and pray, and I must call our church to PRAY,
  
• We won’t move until God speaks and gives us clear direction (read about what happened to Saul in 1 Samuel 13 when he got ahead of God),
  
• God wants all the glory, credit, and fame for the great things He wants to do in and through Lifehouse,
  
• We must pray and fast so that we are all aware that ONLY GOD did the amazing things that He will do at Lifehouse,
  
• We must not become consumed with or distracted by buildings. Jesus-followers make up the building of the Church, not bricks and mortar. Physical buildings are only a tool for God to use so the Church can have a greater impact on a region and reach more people with His love and message, but the building must never BE the Church, only a place WHERE the Church meets.
  
• I have a great plan and vision for how we could use the theaters (or a building) to do some amazing things: renovate so that the building would be more appeal, fit an even larger number of guests and new Jesus-followers; start businesses in the building to cover the cost of the facility so that the church isn’t burdened with it, i.e. a family-friendly theater, a day-care center, etc; use the profits from those businesses to do more outreach and service ministries to our community and PLANT new churches.

What are we going to do?

• PRAY- I’m asking ALL Lifehouse to pray. Set aside special time to ask God for guidance and to speak to us as leaders. Pray for God’s blessing over Lifehouse and that we would have a powerful impact in our community/ region. Pray that NO ONE would become confused or fearful during this time, but that we all would have boldness, courage, and confidence- knowing that GOD IS FOR US!
  
• FOCUS- keep our eyes on the goal of impacting our city and region with God’s love; keep inviting people to Lifehouse- especially since this week is FRIEND DAY; keep sharing and showing Jesus; keep on being a “family of friends” and never let our goal be about a building.
  
• BE GENEROUS- I’m confident that if I asked you to give immediately toward the purchase of this building, that you would give sacrificially and generously. I want to call you to begin giving generously toward the Church- not a building, but the Church and our Cause. We will be good stewards to save and prepare for where God leads us. Exodus 35-36 is about God calling people to give to build His tabernacle (church), and this part stands out,
  

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the LORD has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering… All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do… And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.”
6 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, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

• Give whatever God lays on your heart, and be obedient to give what God speaks to you to give. Laura and I will be praying immediately about this as well. I know you want to know what you are giving sacrificially to- to God and where He will lead us. I believe this week is a time to call our church to give generously to God.
  

You all know that we, as Lifehouse, are not about money or getting you to give MORE, but I feel strongly to invite you to give whatever God puts on your heart to give.

Thank you for taking the time to read this “novel”, and please begin to PRAY, stay FOCUSED, and GIVE generously! I will write as soon as we know more or sense the clear leading of God. I am committed to fasting and praying until I am certain I have heard from God and can lead with His direction.

Fired up,
-Patrick Grach