LWANDA CHURCH IS NOW HAVING A PERMANENT CHURCH BUILDING

So, how did this happen? Last week, we sat down with Lwanda church members, to hear a little-told tale: how housing for the poorest of the poor can go from horrible to habitable. "all people agreed, that Lwanda church  transformation from uninhabitable is not a minor miracle".

Imagine you have just moved into your community. You are looking for a new church home and are visiting this church for the first time. You do not know anyone who attends this church.

Based strictly on buildings and church space, how would you decide if this church would be the right place for you? What would influence your decision?

Take this survey and see how your church measures up:

A. Stay Outside the church for a few moments and ask/answer these questions:

1. Would you have noticed this church after moving to this community? Why?

2. What are your thoughts as you view this church from the road?

3. What kind of people do you think attend this church? Why do you think this?

4. What do the buildings and grounds say about how this church relates to God? To one another? To the community? Why?

5. Are you curious to see inside this church? Why?

6. Is it easy to enter the site from the street?

7. Is there a clear sign identifying the name of the church to passersby?

8. Is the parking lot adequate? Convenient to the main entrance?

9. Is there an attractive focal point in the architectural design?

10. Is there a convenient auto passenger loading/unloading area? Is it covered for us in inclement weather?

11. Is it easy to locate the main entrance? Do you immediately know where to go to enter for church services?

Summarize your overall feelings and thoughts about Lwanda Church which had a chance from no where to posses a permanent church structure. Include architectural appeal, physical layout and accessibility to people with special needs, overall strengths and weaknesses, and apparent priorities of this congregation. Though the new structure for this congregation is not that much wonderful but they all say that it is a miracle, and all church members are now very happy. Any body can easily tell how happiness is now an official guest in their souls.

Are you attracted to this church as a prospective member? or as a supporter?

Martin Luther King Jr, is reported to have said that; "everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

Establishing a budget to build a worship center is more than an economic decision. "It has immense theological issues built into it, whether they are identified or not," says Grace Nyanga, a friend to Peter Isabirye building contractor who has built several  church buildings in Busoga and extended the chance to lwanda Church of Christ . "The evangelical mentality is to build for this generation  and put all of our effort into missions. We don't often have the concept of building a cathedral but churches that will make our brothers and sisters feel his presence."

The tension between building "the house of God" or "the house of the church" is an old one, says Isabirye Peter. During the Renaissance, people were more interested in building a place of worship that would be worthy of God.

Lwanda now feels privileged to have this golden chance of possessing a church building which will never be thrown down by ants.

Robert Waibi