The State of the Sanctuary at the End of 2020
Graphic by Michael Hanna · Photo by Mihaly Koles on Unsplash
It’s that time of year when I normally write a letter to the church sharing my perspective on how the church is doing and asking you to pray about end of the year giving.
Regarding the question, “How much should I give?”
The answer is easy: I don’t know.
As I’ve shared many times, “tithing” is an Old Testament concept that amounted to something like 23 1/3% of an Israelite’s income (Num. 18, Deut. 14:22-28: this covers salaries for Levites, some outrageous programs, and relief for the poor. Building costs and offerings were additional).
“Stewardship” is the New Testament concept, and it amounts to 100% of a believer’s income—all that we have belongs to the Lord. And if you are one of his sheep, you hear his voice (John 10:27). It may only sound like “blah, blah, blah, fluffy, blah, blah”—sheep don’t understand English, Greek, or Hebrew, but they recognize the shepherd’s voice. You hear his voice, and so I’m asking you to ask him, “Lord, how do you want me to spend your money, and do you want me to give some of it to the Sanctuary? What are you doing with the Sanctuary?”
Regarding the question, “How is the Sanctuary doing?”
The answer is still easy: I don’t know... and yet I certainly have a rather irrepressible hope. Maybe I could explain.
To begin with, 2020 has been challenging. (Have you noticed?) In the fall of 2019, we held a marvelous conference—The Gospel of Relentless Love Conference—through which we ministered to people throughout the country and around the world. In December, we were sorry to say good-bye to Kathleen Kegel who had been our Pastor of Community Life, (employed at 32 hrs./week, and tasked with helping us to be a community). I was encouraged that Kathleen would now be close to her family in California, and that Frances, our part-time Pastor of Congregational Care, was willing to take on some old responsibilities as we began a search for a new Pastor of Community Life.
Then COVID. We had to shut down our normal services for a time, both downtown and in the foothills. In the foothills, we opted out of our lease since initially, we were unable to meet and realized that many couldn’t meet until the pandemic was over. Downtown we moved to a reservation system for a time, but then stopped, realizing that we probably wouldn’t exceed limits, due to the fact that many were compelled to watch from home.
COVID happened, and we found ourselves conducting a search for a Pastor of Community Life when community life was borderline illegal. In July, Frances took a trip to Cape Cod, but due to the pandemic, decided that it was best to stay in Cape Cod until Christmas rather than return at the end of the month. Meanwhile, having conducted an extensive search with about eighty applicants and having delayed the process as long as we felt possible, we hired Chris Lindenmeyer as our new Pastor of Community Life. We couldn’t be more pleased with Chris. But I worried: How do we acclimate Chris to community life when community life is borderline illegal?
I thought, “Well at least Frances will be back in two months.” I just learned—and you may have too—that Frances and Bill both decided to not return to Denver until the pandemic is over, due to a variety of family and health concerns. And so, Frances has moved from being an employee on the payroll to a contract laborer, whom we plan to hire for classes and preaching when she’s available.
Frances and I started the Sanctuary together thirteen years ago. At the time, I told her, “OK-- I’ll preach and pastor, but I don’t want to run a church.” Well, much has changed since that day, but needless to say, I’m eternally grateful for Frances. She has been an absolute gift from God to us and me! And yet, I am somewhat addicted to Frances—like Linus was addicted to his security blanket.
So, “Peter, how is the Sanctuary?”
We haven’t had a regular worship service (downtown or in the foothills) or a regular staff meeting or board meeting since March. We’ve lost two wonderful part-time pastors. I’ve been bone tired trying to cover the bases and feeling like a failure. People all around me have experienced great suffering. My children have been stuck in other states and countries. Our nation is currently being torn apart by a pandemic, social media, social unrest, and political turmoil...
...and we’re still here. I find that rather amazing.
A few months ago, my wife came into my office and said, “Peter, I was praying, and I heard the Lord say, ‘You feel like you’re making bricks without straw. I am the straw.’” She never claims to predict elections or stock market returns, but that was exactly how I felt and just what I needed to hear.
You’ll remember that it’s straw that holds bricks together (see: Exodus 5)—bricks that in turn hold a building together. And I’ve been feeling like I can’t hold the Sanctuary together... yet it’s still together. Giving has been down, yet expenses have also been down. We still have a great staff comprised of some tremendous part-time employees and a wonderful new Pastor of Community Life. Our building is getting a long-needed upgrade with money especially designated for capital improvements—and we’ve been able to do the work while restrictions are in place and demand for space is at a minimum. People still connect on-line and from around the world (Check out: facebook.com/RelentlessLovePage or relentless-love.org). And I routinely get this question: “Where can I find a church like the Sanctuary in my town—a church that believes the Bible and also what it says—that God will make all things new?” Almost always I have to tell them, “I don’t know of any, but I wish I did...”
So, “Peter, how is the Sanctuary? What’s going on?”
I don’t know exactly, but I hope and I think we’re giving birth... which means: Yes, it’s true that we’re not in control, but God is in control and doing something very good—these are birth pains.
I mean that in a very broad way and a very localized way.
First the broad way.
People are losing faith in old institutions like the government and the institutional church—have you noticed? Our old boundaries are being stretched; our boxes are being destroyed. Those old boxes are a blessing but can also be a prison. Because Jesus threatened Jewish boxes—even the temple—the authorities had him crucified, Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple was destroyed, and God gave birth to a new creation, through a new and living temple, a New Jerusalem.
For fifteen hundred years, since the church became part of Rome, the institutions have tried to keep “Salvation” in their box. In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation was all about this revolutionary thought: The Church is not Salvation; God is Salvation—"Let Jesus out of the box.”
The Reformation happened at the end of a global pandemic—the black plague—when all of Europe questioned ecclesiastical authority and its ability to save. It happened when the arrogance of religiosity was exposed. It happened when political powers were weakened. And it happened with the invention of the printing press.
Now five hundred years later, with COVID (our own brand of religious arrogance, political turmoil, and the invention of the internet), I think it may be happening again. It wasn’t long after the last reformation that we, once again, tried to put Jesus in a box. We came up with a whole new line of Protestant indulgences to replace the Roman Catholic variety; once again, the Church began to market “Salvation.”
Well, I think we’re ripe for a re-formation, which is actually a birth—a birth of Jesus, or a re-birth of us, his body. The world is ready to hear the eternal Truth that “through Christ, God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, making peace by the blood of his cross.” I think they’re ready to believe the gospel, but belief is not something we do; it’s something God does. Only God can make a baby. Our job is to let the baby be born through us. “May it be done unto me according to thy will,” said Mary. Well, ask any mom: That feels disorienting, chaotic, and painful... right before the miracle.
That’s the broad way; we’re the local way.
This last year has felt disorienting, chaotic, and painful. That’s how a mom feels right before the miracle. She thinks she’s going to fall apart, but something holds her together; and just when she is forced to utterly surrender control, God reveals his control—the miracle, new life, a baby.
Now, this is the point where a salesman would tell me to make a pitch: “So give to the Sanctuary and make the miracle happen!” ...But then it’s not a miracle, is it? That’s just more institutional human religion, isn’t it? We can’t make it happen; just hope to be part of what does happen... we’re not even sure what it is. That’s the wonder of witnessing a birth—I didn’t know that it was Jonathan, Elizabeth, Becky, and Coleman that would be born into my world, and I didn’t have a ten-year plan.
I’m sure there’s going to be a birth. You can read about it in Revelation 12. We give birth to Christ in the world. I expect it to happen in a new way, that broad way, world-wide. And I hope to see it happen at least partly through us—that local way.
It could be that the baby is born through us as individuals and the Word is proclaimed through some new structures, while the non-profit organization we call the Sanctuary comes to an end, having served the purpose that God had for it.
However, I expect and hope that the baby would be born through us a body—a body that’s been stretched, disoriented, confused, and in pain—but nonetheless held together with the Spirit of Jesus. All that have gone before, like Kathleen and Frances, will have been and still are part of the process, and yet we will take on a new form as we emerge from the recent deconstruction and witness God’s reconstruction. I think we’re having a baby, and it’s us—both here and abroad.
Asking for a 10-year plan at this point is a little like asking a young mother in hard labor, “Where will your child go to camp; will he or she play soccer or baseball; and what will he/she major in college?” I can’t answer with any accuracy, but I do hope based on what I see:
I hope we’ll get to be an even more meaningful part of a new reformation as the World wakes up to the relentless love of God in Christ Jesus.
I hope we’ll experience not only a reformation but a revival, as we witness this happen through the Spirit of Christ moving in our worship services, our prayers, and our ministries.
I dream about filling our newly renovated building with people from all over the world participating in conferences, and new people in the Denver area worshipping with a new vision of our Father in heaven, and a thriving community in the foothills.
I’m very encouraged with the addition of Chris Lindenmeyer to our team; I’m grateful for his heart, his gifts, and his love for all of us. He has a heart to help us utilize our gifts to equip each other through classes, small groups, service projects, and the like. With Chris’s leadership, we will have many opportunities to come together in new ways after this pandemic is over. Already our staff has a deep love for Chris, and I see in Chris a deep appreciation for Angie, Dee Dee, Vince, Michael, Glen, etc.... and even Susan! We have a staff of very genuine people with a deep love for Jesus and a great board.
I’m hopeful that we will be able to add a Youth Pastor to our staff and provide additional help for Angie in Children’s Ministry.
I’m excited about our sister church (churches) in the Philippines, all that God is currently doing through our partnership, and what God will do in the future.
I’m so encouraged to know that the Sanctuary is truly becoming a “church without walls,” (I often receive notes from people in other cities and countries), and I hope that the Word we preach would reach more and more of the world through Facebook, YouTube, our Relentless-Love website, and things not yet written, like The Tree in the Middle of the Garden... At this point I feel naked, foolish, and a bit exposed... But that’s what it’s like right before you have a baby.
I hope that God will surprise all of us together—as a living temple—with the beauty of what is born out of these recent birth-pains.
I hope... but I don’t “know.”
If it happens, it will happen through you because it is you, and so would you pray?
Would you simply ask the Lord:
“Would you like me to contribute financially to the Sanctuary at the end of this fiscal year?”
“Would you like me to intentionally commit to regular giving next year?”
(If you’re like my wife you might get words or a number; If you’re like me, you might just hear “blah, blah, blah, fluffy, blah,” coming from a general direction.)“Would you like me to give myself to my church in a small group or some other activity?”
“Would you like me to call someone I haven’t seen, because Peter feels inadequate at holding everyone together... and you are the straw... and you are in me?”
Thank you and Merry Christmas... You’re having a baby!
Peter Hiett
Lead Pastor
Now Brad Knickel, our Treasurer, would like to say a word about our budget. And Dee Dee Reinke, our Business Administrator, would like to share some news about the building.
Sanctuary Year End 2020
The end of the year is always filled with responsibility, activities, and celebrations like the birth of our Lord. One way to honor our Lord is to be prudent stewards of all the gifts he gives us. As the Board of Directors of the Sanctuary, we are responsible for the accounting of the past year and establishing a budget for the next year. The budget for next year is being prepared by the staff and will be reviewed by the board in January along with the year-end 2020 financial accounts.
As a board, we wanted to provide some information on improvements in the Sanctuary building, one of the Sanctuary’s largest financial assets. Some of you may not have noticed the changes in our building, merely because you have not been to church due to COVID-19 restrictions. There was a storm in 2017 that caused a lot of damage to the Sanctuary structure. Insurance proceeds have been collected and are prudently being spent to affect repairs. The roof repair has been completed. Other repairs continue. There have been some pews that were donated, refurbished, and installed. Work also continues on installation of a lift to allow people to access all three levels. None of the insurance proceeds and the corresponding repairs has an effect on the operating budget of the Sanctuary that pays for staff, expenses of heat, electricity, taxes etc. Peter has addressed the operating budget and request for prayer regarding monetary gifts to the Sanctuary.
Brad Knickel
Board Member and Treasurer
Interior of the Sanctuary showing the new center aisle and the pews in the back.
Hello Sanctuary,
We have been in the process of renovations to the building. This is a multifaceted project which includes extensive repairs to the roof, installation of a lift to allow access to the sanctuary, foyer, and children’s area, electrical repairs, additional and relocated seating in the sanctuary, and fixing and maintaining the massive amount of windows in our facility.
Due to a large hail storm in May of 2017 that severely damaged the building, the church has received funds from an insurance claim and subsequent lawsuit that the board has set aside to pay for repairs and maintenance of our amazing 100-year-old building. These funds are segregated from operating budget funds to address the issues of maintaining the facility and protecting this asset. We believe we are to be stewards of the building we have been blessed to have.
The roof repairs and seating capacity changes in the sanctuary have now been completed. All other projects are in various stages of progress and ongoing.
As the financial person for the church, I am extremely grateful that we are enduring this year as well as we are and grateful for your continued support of The Sanctuary. In May, we applied for and received funds from the SBA as part of the CARES Act instituted by the federal government. These funds were used for the expense categories (payroll, utilities, mortgage interest, etc.) that allow forgiveness of these loans, and we are currently waiting to receive the go-ahead to apply for forgiveness from our bank. These forgivable loans, in addition to your continued financial support, have been the key factors in our church financially surviving 2020.
As we continue to accomplish our mission as a church, our financial needs continue as well. Please prayerfully consider what your level of commitment to The Sanctuary should be as we navigate these unprecedented times.
Thank you so very much!