eat your heart out, without walls international

Need more ministry space? Scared to death at the idea of a building project? Worried about the finances? You could do what Cornerstone Community Church in California has decided to do and just ... not build.

Enter the Tierra Rejada Building Project.

Yup. Cornerstone has purchased almost 140 acres that will feature a 5000-seat, outdoor, garden-style amphitheater that will be used for weekend services instead of a traditional, indoor auditorium.

Other site features include:

> Eternity Bible College. 1000-seat (indoor) multi-purpose auditorium, classroom buildings, a maintenance building, restrooms, admin/library, and a 300-seat chapel.
> Community Athletic Fields. About five acres for two community fields.
> Children's Hunger Fund (CHF). Ten acres would house about 100,000 sq ft of (indoor) space for the CHF international headquarters.
> Finally, 80 acres (nearly 60% of the site) will remain undeveloped.

Why? Well, for one, it's California and you can do that kind of thing in California. Cornerstone has a short list of reasons, elaborated upon on the website, but it comes down to vision.

The heart of Cornerstone Community Church is to care for some of the material needs of the poor. Their leadership did not feel that the cost involved in a building project (not to mention there wasn't a lot of room in town for a building of the size they would need) was congruent with the mission and vision of their ministry.

We talk a lot about how your church facility should reflect and support your vision and your calling. If your vision is to care for children, you need a good children's wing. If your vision is to foster families, you need space for family-oriented activities. If your vision is to shelter and care for the homeless in the midwest, you need a big kitchen and room for cots. If your vision is to feed and clothe the poor on the west coast ... maybe you don't need a building at all.