During our stay in Mindanao we visited three local churches in the provincial areas of Zamboanga and Pagadian. While getting there was an adventure (unpaved roads and flat tires), the excursion provided another lesson in God’s provision.

I like to think of our trip to Mindanao as a modern-day Parable of the Talents. The first two communities had planned, budgeted and built a church building according to the blueprints established and funded by the project team at a church in southern California. Each site included a single-level worship center with high ceilings, open-air windows that allowed for plenty of natural sunlight and natural air-conditioning. The spaces utilized a variety of building materials, were inviting and large enough to accommodate present and future growth. While the two church buildings basically looked identical from the outside, distinct finishing touches contributed by members within each church made them unique. One building featured natural trim work and the other utilized engraved planks to form the stage and platform area. Both churches featured a parsonage on the church property that was situated in an area that provided easy access from the roads. In one community, even an additional discipleship-training center was being built.

The third community had just finished building a church that differed greatly from the others. It featured a single-level worship area that had inadequate provisions for natural sunlight and airflow – aspects that are important when considering the seasonal changes in the Philippines. The main room relied upon four concrete cylinders that acted as weight bearing columns to support the 14-inch concrete ceiling, which was to eventually become the floor for the second-story of the structure. The columns created unusual sight lines but were necessary to support the all-concrete structure. There was no attached roof, just a flat top that would eventually be converted to house a second story. The lack of a proper drainage system built into the concrete ceiling means an excessive amount of rainwater will cause problems when the rainy season begins.  The front of the building featured a two-story, peaked-facade with a large, single window opening – it gave the appearance of a second floor that in reality did not exist. Needless to say, the design and implementation varied greatly from the agreed upon plan, budget and blueprint.

Make no mistake about it at the end of the day three communities have constructed a place for their community to worship. And, while the model for establishing church buildings in two communities proved effective and cost efficient, it was the execution of that model in the third community that was flawed. After meeting with the pastor and his leadership it was decided funding would cease for their project. The cost to rebuild would exceed what had already been spent.

From the three church visits in Mindanao, I realized God provides the financial resources that are needed and He requires us to be faithful, fruitful and replicable. In the instances where the blueprints were implemented beyond expectation it was because the people in the respective communities went to ‘work’ and not the money.