October 10, 2003

My brother and I own and operate a commercial bakery. He’s the chef. I’m the businessman. Four years ago, after many years of building the business, we realized we were out of space. The ovens were running 24/7 and couldn’t keep up. We were very close to turning customers away.

So I went to work. I found a building. It was six times larger than our current facility. I priced the build-out. It was expensive. I talked to the bank. It was going to stretch us to our financial limits. I remember a very cold night in January when I got home late from work. My wife wasn’t feeling well. The kids were fighting. I went back to the car and sat there for a while, staring into space, a bit lost and a bit frightened. I was praying.
The next day I went to my brother and laid out the whole project. I concluded by saying, “You know we don’t have to do this. We can keep things the way they are.” He turned to me and said with clarity of purpose that I shall never forget, “We are not done yet. We can do this.” And we did.

Like many successful enterprises, Fourth Church has reached a point where it must invest in the future. Our beloved church is running out of room to accommodate our thriving and expanding ministry. If we “keep things the way they are,” we will have to accept limits. I do not think this is God’s plan for us. We are not done yet.

Project Light is a bold and thoughtful plan to raise capital, to expand the physical capacity of Fourth Church, to restore and upgrade our facilities, and to take our mission directly into the community we serve. Enabling our Light in the City to shine even brighter for generations to come will require sacrifice, hard work, and prayer. But with God’s grace, we can do this. And we will.

Dear Lord, grant us the vision to see your truth, the wisdom to find our way, and the courage to act. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Written by Lloyd Culbertson, Lay Leader