ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 13, 2026
Last week, I was returning to the church in the early afternoon, and sitting on a bench across from the playground was a mother and daughter. I greeted them, and I started to walk up the steps toward the Forum Building, but the mother got my attention and asked if I would give them permission to use the playground. I immediately turned around and said, “No permission is necessary. We built it because we want it to be used by all the children in our community.” The daughter, who was maybe seven or eight years old, looked at her mother as only a child can and said, “I told you that it was for everyone.” Thirty minutes later, I glanced out to see the mother sitting on the bench under the big canopy reading a book while the young girl continued to enjoy the playground.
My first thought was that though the mother was hesitant, it brought me great joy that the child looked at the playground and immediately saw something inviting and open. My second thought is gratitude for a congregation that made the building of that playground a priority. If you want something that will last, you can’t go cheap. Cypress Creek Christian Church chose to spend the money, and the payoff in community use and joy has far exceeded what I ever imagined.
My third thought is that churches like Cypress Creek Christian Church require financial resources, and some of those gifts help install a playground, which is beautiful and children are drawn to it. Some of those gifts are used to replace a very old and leaky flat root, which isn’t very flashy and won’t bring a smile to a child’s face. Yet, it is still extraordinarily important. And of course, a majority of the gifts go to support the ministries of the congregation, which include staff salaries, utility bills, trash collection, insurance, repairs, software for livestream, curriculum for children and youth Sunday School, and the list goes on.
I believe Cypress Creek Christian Church is quite extraordinary in how it uses its resources. I probably would not use the word frugal. Instead, words like smart and mission-driven are probably more accurate. We want every dollar to make an impact as we seek to Put Love First. Ultimately, as a friend of mine put it, we need to answer the question: What kind of world do we want? And with that question comes a follow-up: What sort of people, communities, and institutions will help realize that world? I don’t want to overstate the role of Cypress Creek Christian Church, but I also do not want to devalue it. The current world needs churches like Cypress Creek Christian Church, especially if this world is ever going to resemble the vision Jesus cast for us.
We are in awe of the way you can utilize and inspire a group like us, Amazing God, whose amazing grace is beyond measure. Continue to keep us on track in doing the work you have called us to do. We pray in and through the name of Jesus. Amen.
