The current state of the economy has affected all of us in one way or another. Investment and bank accounts have plummeted, home values have sunk, salaries have been cut, jobs have been lost, and bills are mounting. We worry about how much worse it might get before it gets better, and how we will weather the storm.

In times like these it is difficult to look ahead, especially if we allow ourselves to lose our faith and the strength that comes from that. But we must have the courage to face our challenges if we want to overcome them and move beyond them, no matter how hard that might be. In the last few months, as I see my small busi-ness continue to falter, I have often thought of "Footprints in the Sand" and its message that the Lord will carry us through the valleys of life. And I am reminded of Isaiah 41:10 –

"Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

And while each of us is hurting, many others in and around our community are hurting worse. Much worse. Not only because of the economy, but more importantly because they do not have the Lord on their side. And so the Lord continues to call upon us to find ways to bring the unbelievers into the Light.

Which brings me to the Long-Range Planning committee. As everyone knows, we are in the process of exploring the possibility of constructing an addition to the church. We believe that our existing building is a limiting factor in maintaining our programs, much less growing them and better serving our community. While I don't want to dwell on the negatives, these issues include inadequate nursery space, insufficient bathrooms, classrooms, fellowship and narthex space, and poor handicapped/senior accessibility to these functional areas.

In the midst of this process, the economic downturn has taken full hold and caused many of us (myself included) to question if now is really a good time to even consider this. As a church, we are finding it difficult to keep up with even our regular budget as many families are struggling with personal finances. Do we really think we can take on the cost of a new facility?

After much prayer and thought, we think God is leading us to keep moving forward. To have the courage and faith that He will continue to guide us as we work to spread His grace. Let me explain our thinking a little bit.

We believe that this should be God's decision. By developing and presenting a plan, we will be allowing Him to decide if and when we should build. An important part of listening to God is to carefully listen to the congregation. Please know that we value each person's thoughts and we need to hear from all. Perhaps he will move within us in a way that enables us to build now. Or perhaps he will tell us to patiently grow our God's Plan fund until it is the right time. We go into this with no pressures or expectations – only a desire to have Him lead us.

We also know that we have to be good stewards of his riches. In our planning and design of the proposed addition, we have consciously and intentionally focused on our "needs," not our "wants."

Because of some zoning issues, we are in the process of modifying our plans to be in compliance with Village ordinances. As we finalize this and bring the plans to the congregation, I hope we all remember that this is God's Plan – that He will lead us to do what we can do, and when we can do it – even if it is many years from now. Our faith in Him is giving us the courage to look ahead.