In my work with churches over the past 35+ years — sitting in boardrooms, walking building sites, and consulting on capital campaigns -- there's a phrase I hear that makes me wince almost every time: “We're spending money on ourselves.”
It almost always surfaces in the context of a capital campaign. A church is expanding space, renovating facilities, or acquiring property. And almost without fail, it's followed by something like: “But don't worry -- we're going to tithe from the campaign and give to a local ministry.”
As if generosity outside the walls can somehow offset the seeming guilt of investing in your own infrastructure.
Can we pause and be honest with each other?
That language isn't just inaccurate. It reflects a theological framework that's biblically incomplete -- and it's quietly doing damage to the way your church thinks about stewardship, mission, and facilities.
The Bible Never Apologizes for Building
Let's start with Nehemiah. When Jerusalem's walls lay in ruins, Nehemiah didn't say, “We shouldn't be spending resources on ourselves.” He didn't spend a single verse apologizing for rebuilding infrastructure. He called the people to rebuild those walls — because without them, the mission and identity of God's people were compromised.
The walls weren't vanity. They weren't self-indulgence. They were protection. They were stability. They were the framework that allowed worship, commerce, family life, and ministry to flourish.
Infrastructure enabled faithfulness. Rebuilding was missional.
The Early Church Gathered Before It Scattered
In Acts 2, the early church devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, broke bread together, prayed together, and met regularly -- in the temple courts and in homes. They had rhythms of gathering and scattering. And those rhythms depended on physical spaces.
Here's what's easy to miss: the explosive growth of the early church didn't eliminate the need for structure. It intensified it. As the church expanded, so did the organizational and logistical demands (see Acts 6). Structure and systems were put in place not to distract from mission, but to support it.
Gathering strengthened the church so it could scatter effectively. Inside fueled outside.
God Has Always Used Physical Space for Spiritual Purpose
This isn't a new idea. Look at the arc of Scripture. The Tabernacle was designed with remarkable intentionality. The Temple was built as a central place of encounter with God.
Synagogues became hubs for teaching, prayer, and the formation of community life. Jesus taught in them regularly. Paul reasoned in them city by city.
Were those structures the mission? No. But they served the mission. They were platforms for proclamation, training grounds for discipleship, and visible signs that God's people were established and present.
No one accused Solomon of “spending money on ourselves” when the Temple was built.
The issue was always the heart behind the building -- never the existence of the structure itself.
The Real Problem Is Our Language
When modern churches say, “We're spending money on ourselves,” we subtly communicate a set of ideas that aren't biblical: that buildings are inherently selfish, that internal investment is spiritually suspect, that real ministry only happens "out there," and that we should feel guilty for expanding capacity.
Then, to ease our conscience, we promise to give a percentage of the campaign to a local ministry -- as if outside generosity is the only legitimate expression of mission.
Friends, we can do better than this.
Inside the Walls. Outside the Walls.
What if instead of framing it as “us vs. them,” we simply said: Inside the walls. Outside the walls.
Inside the walls, you're building a base camp -- a training ground, a worshiping community, discipleship pathways, and the ministry infrastructure that makes everything else possible. Outside the walls, you're advancing the gospel, serving the vulnerable, showing mercy, engaging culture, and living sent lives.
The church gathers so it can scatter. That's not a tension to manage; it's a rhythm to celebrate.
Infrastructure Fuels Mission — Not the Other Way Around
A larger kids' space means more families being discipled. Expanded worship space means more people hearing the gospel. Better facilities mean fewer barriers for someone exploring faith for the first time. These aren't amenities -- they are tools. And tools are meant to be used for impact.
Think about it this way: every army establishes a base before advancing. Every relief organization builds operational systems before serving a disaster zone. Every growing movement strengthens its foundation before expanding its reach.
The church should not be the only organization that feels guilty for preparing well.
A More Faithful Conversation
If a capital campaign is driven by ego, institutional prestige, or personal comfort -- that's a heart issue. Absolutely. Deal with it. But if it's driven by mission, by a genuine desire to expand capacity for evangelism and discipleship and community impact?
Then let's stop apologizing.
Instead of saying, “We're spending money on ourselves,” try this: “We're strengthening our base so we can expand our impact.” Or: “We're increasing our capacity for ministry so more people can be reached, served, and discipled.”
Because that's what's actually happening.
The church does not exist for itself -- we agree on that. But throughout Scripture, God has consistently, repeatedly, and intentionally used physical space to accomplish spiritual purposes. Building inside the walls is not selfish. When it's rooted in mission, it is faithful stewardship. It is strategic. It is biblical.
So yes -- let's be extravagantly generous outside the walls.
But let's also stop feeling guilty for building the base camp.
As always, I'm happy to talk further. Feel free to reach me at jim@generis.com, or join me every two weeks on the Next Sunday podcast.
About the Author
Jim Sheppard is the Chairman and Principal of Generis, a consulting firm that helps churches, Christian schools, and faith-based organizations accelerate generosity toward their God-inspired vision.
With more than 30 years of experience guiding leaders and congregations, Jim is a trusted voice in stewardship, generosity, and organizational health.
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