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Building on a strong foundation

Let me describe the one who truly follows me and does what I say. He is like a man who chooses the right place to build a house and then lays a deep and secure foundation. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it continues to stand strong and unshaken through the tempest, for it has been wisely built on the right foundation. [49] But the one who has heard my teaching and does not obey it is like a man who builds a house without laying any foundation whatsoever. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it will immediately collapse and become a total loss. Which of these two builders will you be?

Luke 6:47-49 TPT

As Jesus shows us in this parable, there is more than one way to build, but one of these methods ends in collapse and total loss. I think it’s safe to say that no one builds with the goal of seeing all their work destroyed, but that can be the unintended consequence of taking shortcuts and not valuing and investing in a strong foundation.

As a member of the Bay Area Christian Church’s administrative team for the last 26 years, I have seen firsthand how important investing in a strong foundation for God’s church has been to weathering storms and creating a path toward incredible growth, expansion, and spiritual victories.

Building God’s church with great care

Like a skilled architect and master builder, I laid a foundation based upon God’s grace given to me. Now others will come along to build on the foundation. Each serves in a different way and is to build upon it with great care. There is, in fact, only one foundation, and no one can lay any foundation other than Jesus the Anointed. As others build on the foundation (whether with gold, silver, gemstones, wood, hay, or straw),  the quality of each person’s work will be revealed in time as it is tested by fire. If a man’s work stands the test of fire, he will be rewarded.  If a man’s work is consumed by the fire, his reward will be lost but he will be spared, rescued from the fire.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Voice

I’ve had the privilege of working in administration for the Bay Area Christian Church since completing graduate school and obtaining my master’s degree in finance. I work alongside  extraordinary, talented professionals who combine their years of valuable work experience with their love for God’s church to serve and build the strong foundation of BACC’s financial infrastructure with great care. 

Since its inception, BACC’s administrative team has striven to be skilled architects and master builders. Using only the best materials, our goal was to lay a foundation that would allow the church to stand the tests of fire while also maintaining vision for a vibrant, impactful future that will remain long after we are gone. 

For the last 25 years, the BACC has undergone an annual financial audit with two of the top accounting firms in the world, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Grant Thornton. Each and every year we have received an unqualified opinion. This is the best rating you can receive and it means that from an outside, professional perspective the church’s financial statements are reliable and verifiable. 

As the passage in 1 Corinthians 3 says, the quality of each person’s work will be revealed. We are proud of the work we do to maintain the highest level of quality and integrity for God’s church. God has blessed these efforts by helping us develop a great reputation and long-term relationships with our audit firms.

In the last two years alone, while weathering the storm of a global pandemic, we have been amazed by how God has used this strong foundation to create opportunities to change lives in ways we could not have even imagined:

• Digital Impact – Building a growing platform of over 500 devotionals, podcast episodes, videos and other spiritual tools that are accessible to anyone, anywhere, who would like to learn how to walk with God.
• E-Life – Sponsoring the expansion of inclusive programs into more areas and stages of life,  including E-Gardening, E-Photography, and coming soon, E-Academics and E-Theater.
• E-Hoops and E-Soccer – Serving our community by promoting inclusion and building long-standing partnerships with the Golden State Warriors, University of San Francisco, and the San Jose Earthquakes.
• Leadership Development – Hiring and training 27 young, new leaders through BACC’s Scholar and Intern programs.
• Common Ground – Opening a new youth and inclusion center in Sunnyvale, providing teens and campus students with a great location for year-round events, leadership development, and community service along with two weekly church services.
• East Bay Building – Establishing permanence in the communities we serve on the East Bay by seeking to purchase a building. 

At a time when, statistically, most churches are aging and dwindling in number, we have seen God bless the Bay Area Christian Church abundantly with increased reach and impact, baptisms, and the financial ability to hire and train talented young people who have hearts to build God’s church for the next generation.

Builders in the Bible: Joseph

One of the best examples in the Bible of the impact of faith, integrity, and the power of building a strong foundation is the story of Joseph. Joseph had to weather significant challenges in order to become the spiritual man God would one day use to lead Egypt through a famine and save millions of lives:

When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. [2] The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. [3] Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. [4] This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. [5] From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. [6] So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

Genesis 39:1-6 NLT

The journey from being a 17-year-old shepherd to becoming the most powerful man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, was a process that took many, many years. Joseph endured disappointing setbacks and moments that forced him to shore up his foundation by fighting for vision and faith in the midst of despair and hardship.

Joseph shows us that even in the most difficult, unfair circumstances, God has a plan. If we maintain a strong foundation of faith and trust in God, he will guide us through storms and use our pain to build something we could never have imagined.  

For more on Joseph, check out the following passages of the Bible:

• Genesis 37 to 50
• Deuteronomy 33:13-17
• Psalm 105:16-24 MSG
• Hebrews 11:22

Building a strong foundation takes a lot of hard work, focus, sacrifice, vision, faith and prayer. BACC’s administrative team is incredibly grateful for the honor and responsibility of managing the finances and operations of God’s church. We want to be proven faithful with the small things because the big things, the eternal treasures of the spiritual world, are the reward we have set our hearts and minds toward.  

Monica Williamson

Human Resources Manager & BACC Board Member