Best practices for capital campaigns encourage congregations to allocate a significant portion of campaign pledges to mission projects. Indeed, our Building on a Legacy of Love campaign in 2017 donated $26,000 to the ministries of Life’s Kitchen. This campaign, however, is structured to be a miniature version of a true capital campaign, and does not include a monetary tithe.
At its best, a church parking lot is not just a place for the temporary storage of vehicles, but also an avenue for community outreach. (To get a better sense of what we mean, picture the children dressed in costumes during our popular Trunk or Treat event, or families who use our parking lot, The Grove, and our free Wifi connection as they take their children to and from Grace Jordan).
In lieu of an allocated monetary donation for mission, we see the reconstruction of our parking lot as a charge and commitment for our congregation to use it as a tool for increased community outreach. Let us ask ourselves: how might we utilize our parking lot (and our campus!) to welcome and care for our neighbors, to the glory of God?
