As a part of our "MY CHURCH" campaign we have asked members to share with us their hopes and dreams for Christ Church. There are various ways of doing this, including our website. One of the more interesting exercises, however, took place when our Children's Ministry asked the kids to draw pictures of what they wanted the new sanctuary to look like and any additions they would like to see.

The results have been fascinating, ranging from the touching to the hilarious. Just to name a few: a hamburger joint, a swimming pool, a Pokeman Battle Stadium, a Noah's Ark Ride, and (my favorite) a fireworks launcher on the steeple for the 4th of July. But a little boy by the name of Austin, age 9, managed to capture the spirit of this campaign better than anybody else. He drew a picture of a church with a great big sign over it reading "WELCOME TO THE IMPROVED CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH."

Austin, you have figured it out completely. A church building project is never just about making more room or having a nicer worship facility or a larger bride's room. It is about improving the ministry and mission of the church. It is about growing deeper in our faith and more courageous in our witness and more committed in our outreach. It is about improved children's and youth programs, improved Bible studies and mission projects. It is about ordinary Christians trying to improve and enlarge their efforts to make the Kingdom of God a reality in this time and place and for the generations yet to come.

One final word: Austin pretty much thought of everything. His drawing designates where the "wheel chair door opener" should be so that nobody would ever be left out. And he makes one humble request about the color of the new sanctuary: "anything but pink."