I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your flourishing, and not for harm, to give you a future and hope.
– Jeremiah 29:11
— has been chosen as our guiding scripture for our rebuilding campaign “Forward in Faith”. It’s a verse we love to hear, a verse that seems made for times like ours, full of uncertainty, planning, hoping, and longing for what comes next.
But Jeremiah 29 is not a simple pep talk. It’s a letter written by the prophet to a people in exile — a people who have lost everything familiar: their homes, their city, their temple. They are strangers in a strange land, longing for return, wondering if they will ever rebuild. And to them, God says something both challenging and comforting: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce… seek the flourishing of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its flourishing you will find your flourishing.”
In other words: stay faithful. Don’t let longing for the future keep you from living fully in the present. Don’t let the hope of “someday” become an excuse to neglect what God is calling you to do today.
It’s tempting for us — as we take on the monumental task of rebuilding — to make the project itself our purpose as a church. It can so easily become the only thing we fixate on: the fundraising, the design plans, the details and deadlines. But Jeremiah reminds us that even in exile — even before the rebuilding begins — God’s people still have a mission. They are still called to seek the flourishing of the city, to bless their neighbors, to embody God’s love in the place where they find themselves.
The same is true for us. Our mission — to welcome, nourish, and send people in Jesus’ name — doesn’t start when the new building is complete. It’s happening now. Every time we connect with each other in worship, every meal we serve through Faith Kitchen, every child learning in Children’s Church, every act of prayer, generosity, sharing, and care overflows from our faith into our lives — all of it is part of God’s good plan for us and for our city.
Yes, we will rebuild. But the goal is not simply a building — it is a community of faithfulness. A space for grace, yes, but more than that: a people through whom grace is shared. God’s promise in Jeremiah 29 is not about ease or speed; it is about faithfulness, perseverance, and hope that stretches across generations.
As we move “forward in faith,” let the months ahead be a time of spiritual upbuilding as well as physical rebuilding – the sort of “edification” St. Peter was talking about when he said, “like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 2:5) Let us pray that God would work on us as we work on our property. Let there be celebrations and fervent prayer and JOY in this thing we’re doing! That way, when we are done, we can give God all the glory.
Grace and peace,
Your Pastor Robin
Triune God,
