"Bread for the Tabernacle"

When considering our attempt to establish churches many may ask the question " Why not just more cheaply rent a property, why do you have to build?" The answer is simple, we will build because renting is difficult if not impossible.

In a recent attempt to plant a church in a near by town we spent months looking at possible properties to rent and every one seemed promising until the property owners asked why we were renting the property. Upon learning that we wished to use it for the purpose of holding christian meetings they would find some excuse to end the conversation. We would be told "we don't think this is best for us" or "we have nothing against you, we just don't want to loose business because we rented to you" ect. When we finally found a property owner willing to rent to us, the property was in very poor condition and not well suited to our needs. We want to build so that the churches we plant have homes well suited to their needs and can more readily accomplish the mission God has given to them.

A house of worship in Tukish culture is a recognized symbol that openly expresses a religious community's presence and stability. A church building's presence in a community would be a step towards reconciliation and perhaps even provide opportunity for recognition of christians locally. It would attract those curious about chrisianity and provide a place where people could naturally participate in the exchange of thoughts, opinions, and experiences. The presence of a christian house of worship would also clearly indicate the christian communities belief that the gospel is relevant for Turkey and worth investing in.

“From 2008 to 2013 I served in a church community that rented a building belonging to the anglican church. This building had a classic church-like appearance due to its architecture. Because of this distinct appearance and because it was known to be one of the few recognizable “church buildings” open to the public we had many visitors both during the week and for Sunday services. Within a period of five years, the church had doubled in number. In all likelihood this growth was due in large part to the draw the church building had on the public.”

This testimony is just one of many examples clearly indicating that church buildings are an effective means of reaching the Turkish people. We continue to see this kind of response to a church building's presence and it is not likely to change as it is part of the cultural understanding of the Turkish people.

With the favorable exchange rates available at this time multiplying the value of even the smallest of contributions, it is possible for the church in Bulgaria, and many other nations to take an active part in the construction of church buildings in Turkey. Any contributor can have confidence that their gifts will have a lasting impact on the advance of the gospel because these church buildings will provide a platform for deeper and longer-term ministry as well as serve in significantly empowering and encouraging the local christian community.

In the province of Canakkale, the price of land varies depending on the plot type from 50,000 to 90,000 BGN, or 25,000 to 46,000 Euro for 500 square meters. A current design for a “House of Prayer” of about 425 m2 can be constructed on the purchased property for about 325,000BGN or 165,000 Euro. Only a year ago this prices would have been doubled.

Implementation of the project “Bread for the Tabernacle” will take place in several stages. Each stage will be related to the construction of a house of prayer and will consist of three sub stages.

1. Raising Funds    2. Buying Land     3. Building the Tabernacle.

Any participating community can choose a representative or committee they would like to oversee the processes of fund raising and its dispersal. These representatives will receive monthly reports from the projects managers detailing how funds are being allocated.

Information regarding funds raised for “Bread for the Temple” wil be available to anyone in real time on our web-sight. This will include information regarding the progress of each of the sub-stages, how many groups or churches are involved, and the total raised to date. At the end of each sub-stage all committee members involved in oversight will be invited to attend the various stages of the project. The conditions for participation and the number of representatives will be determined as the project grows.

Questions related to the projects stages, coordination, approval, and documentation can be sent to [email protected] . These questions and answers, if related to general or organizational aspects, may be published on the site, for the benefit of the other participants.

In order to maximize effective and timely execution of the project goals we intend to remain flexible adopting any approach that may more effectively further the progress of the project. You can send your suggestions to [email protected].