Beyond the Beyond: Reflections on Our Giving Campaign

As you know, we completed a capital campaign here at Vineyard Columbus. As I reflect back on the past three months, the scriptural passage that best reflects our experience is Ephesians 3:20-21. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

The NIV smoothes out Paul's language. What the apostle Paul literally wrote is: Now to him who is able to do beyond all things, super-abundantly beyond all we ask or think, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end! Amen. Beyond all things, super-abundantly beyond-not just "immeasurably more." The best lexicon in Greek, Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich says that the expression Paul used in Ephesians 3:20 is the highest form of comparison imaginable-beyond all things, super-abundantly beyond.

So often, when we kneel before God, we have no idea who it is we are talking to. We say to ourselves: This situation is quite impossible, so when I pray to God, I will pray what I believe is possible for God to do. The apostle Paul says that God's power and grace exceeds what we are willing to pray ("Now to him who is able to do beyond all things super-abundantly beyond what we ask…"), and God's power exceeds even what you and I are even willing to dream and imagine. At times we allow our imaginations to soar. We think: Wouldn't it be great if we got to see this particular activity of God in our lives or in our families or in our community? The apostle Paul says that God's power and grace goes beyond what we are able to dream, think, or imagine. We have no idea, in other words, who we are dealing with when we approach our infinite, limitless, eternal, omnipotent God.

The experience of many of us in this giving campaign is a confirmation of Paul's statement regarding God. Where have we seen God go beyond the beyond?

1. We asked the Lord for $7 million in order to build our community center and to expand our involvement in world missions. As of this writing, we have $8.3 million pledged. I expect that with new pledges collected over the next year or so, we will pass the $9 million mark.

2. Our church's understanding of the Kingdom of God has been significantly expanded. I believe that our church now has God's heart for the poor planted within our genetic code.

3. Several thousand people in our congregation had their imaginations sparked regarding God's call upon their lives. Hundreds responded to our request regarding volunteer ministries in our new community center. Hundreds more responded to calls concerning world missions.

4. The church redefined its relationship with our city. We are no longer a church that happens to be in Columbus, Ohio. We now link our own future with the future of our city (Jeremiah 29:1-11).

5. Our church is more externally focused than it has ever been.

6. We could not have asked or even imagined an evening of more dynamic worship and celebration than when 5000+ Vineyard members filled the Columbus Convention Center on Thursday evening, March 10th. What an extraordinary night!

7. Many, many people were personally impacted for the Kingdom of God by watching the video testimonies shown throughout the campaign.

8. Perhaps most importantly, it seems that the Holy Spirit has redefined the purpose of church through this giving campaign. Certainly, church does provide a context for our own healing and spiritual growth but we now also understand that the church exists to be an instrument in the hand of Almighty God to extend his kingdom to the poor in our community and also to unreached people around the world.

Our God is an awesome God! How shall we summarize our campaign? Again, let's listen to the apostle Paul: Now to him who is able to do beyond all things, super-abundantly beyond all we ask or think, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end! Amen.