December 9, 2002
Fort Worth church employs creative
funding to get a new building erected
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___FORT WORTH--The building project at Iglesia Bautista Getsemani may be partially funded by corporations, but it is made possible by a grant from God.
___The notion of a building project was nothing more than a dream nine years ago as the church that once served 160 worshippers declined to an average attendance of about 85.
___When the church called Julio Guarneri as pastor, a healing process began that soothed several years of spiritual decline.
___The congregation voted to refocus evangelistic efforts to reach younger generations of Hispanics. The bilingual worship began blending hymns and praise choruses.
___By worshipping in English and Spanish, the church attracted multiple generations of Hispanics of all walks of life, from immigrant laborers to fourth-generation Hispanic-American professionals.
___Anglos and African-Americans also showed interest in the altered services. People traveled across Tarrant County to participate in the church.
___"If you were to walk into our church on any given Sunday, it would be hard for you to say the church is made up of this group or that group," Guarneri said. "The gospel is a universal thing. The body of Christ should express diversity."
___After six years of renewal and growth, the church overflowed with members and visitors and needed a larger place to worship. Sunday School classes were full, and there was no room for expansion. Members also believed the church was not reaching its potential because the facility was hard for visitors to find.
___"If we were going to reach people from greater Tarrant County, we needed a more visible location," Guarneri said.
___The congregation initially looked into purchasing a building and renovating it but discovered they could build for the same price.
___Early in the project planning, a member asked a contractor if he knew anyone looking to donate a couple of acres of land along Interstate 35W for a new church building. To the surprise of the contractor and the congregation, Mercantile Partners Ltd. donated 11 acres in north Fort Worth.
___"We are still amazed at the fact it happened," Guarneri said. "It was our initial confirmation that we are doing the right thing."
___With the land acquired, the church began raising funds for construction. The first fund-raising campaign gathered a significant amount of money, but not enough to fund the envisioned construction.
___So the church launched a second fund-raising effort. Consultants told church leaders $300,000 likely would be the most brought in. Still, the congregation set an ambitious goal of $400,000 and was blessed by pledges of $547,000.
___"I think the people who pledged pledged sacrificially and boldly," Guarneri said.
___At the request of the congregation, the church staff also solicited donations from corporations and, to the surprise of the pastor, received $165,000.
___"There was almost no place that we went to that didn't give up a significant amount on the spot," Guarneri said.
___Still short of the needed funds, however, the church decided to proceed with the project. Shortly after the vote, Guarneri informed the congregation that members had come to him wanting to pledge the needed amount while others were willing to mortgage their homes to provide the money.
___The church also sold its building and now holds services at North Fort Worth Baptist Church and continues to grow.
___"Really, it has been a spiritual experience for the congregation," Guarneri said. "We've had to exercise our faith."
___The church staff hopes to continue the growth they have seen over the past nine years and become a "sending" church that starts Bible studies and churches around Tarrant County when they move into their new facilities next August, Guarneri said.
___"Not only do we want to grow our own church ... but we want to grow the kingdom," said David Kuehl, minister of missions. "We need to be a kingdom-building church."
The Baptist Standard
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