I am sure most of you have seen this or similar headlines recently in the papers. The article I was reading said, “Developers are planning three subdivisions in Elgin that could add almost 3,000 new homes to the Central Texas Town” (Austin Business Journal, Vol.25, No. 37, p. 1). If each of these homes averages three people per home, it looks like we will soon have 9,000 new folks in our "small town".
      City-Data.com estimates Elgin’s population in 2000 at 5,700, and in July 2004 at 8,007 – a 40.5% increase. This comes as no surprise to many of us. Some of our friends and neighbors are looking down the road and have already started to build convenience stores and strip centers along Hwy. 290. Others are serving on strategic planning committees for our schools, city and parks.
      Anticipating this growth, we bought a small piece of property (the Warner home) in 2002 from Brent Johnson for $88,000. Fifteen families pledged to support this purchase for a combined total of $1000 each month for five years, some agreeing to continue for longer, if necessary. The feeling was in five years “we may begin to use the property for church use and absorb the $616 payment into the budget” (Charge Conference Minutes Attachment). Until then, it was expected that the property would be leased.
      A short three years later, we saw a need to use the house for ministry. We voted to not rent the house when it became vacant and to roll the mortgage payments over into the budget. Many of those original 15 families began to contribute their pledges to the budget, offsetting the monthly payments.
      While we badly needed the additional space to accomodate the growth we've already seen in our church, the most important benefit was the defining of this purchase as a church ministry. I want to thank those 15 families who made this purchase possible. It has proven to be the right decision. Even though most of those families are still very active in supporting this particular ministry, it is harder to distinguish individuals or groups as supporting this or that ministry. I want to thank all of you who saw the need and moved forward to claim this property for ministry ahead of schedule.
      In each of the Gospels is a story of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand.” In each story, the disciples are concerned and ask Jesus to “send the people away.” They don't understand how they can possibly minister to so many people.
      In the Gospel of John, Philip explains that it would take 200 days’ wages (or “Six months’ wages” in the NRSV...) to do what Jesus is asking them to do. Things appear to be happening too fast. The disciples are not ready. They do a quick inventory and find they have only five loaves and two fish to accomplish the ministry Jesus asks them to do for all those people. Yet they follow Christ's call, step out in faith and there is an abundance left over - twelve baskets full.
      Our newspapers tell us that property has already been purchased for 9,000 people and building has started. I think many of us feel like the Disciples felt that day. How can we possibly minister to and with so many people? We are tempted to ask Jesus to send them away. Instead we remember the miracle of the loaves and fishes and offer what little we have to God. God blesses it and gives it back to us so that we can set it before the crowds. “And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.” (Mt 14:20).