Building for Ministry

By Joy McKee

“New challenges bring new growth. New growth brings new opportunities. And when your foundation rests securely in the Lord our God, you greet each new opportunity with faith, anticipation, and excitement.” —Charles R. Swindoll

Twenty-eight years ago, a group of friends in Canada joined together to study God’s Word. They found themselves profoundly moved by the Bible teaching of a pastor named Chuck Swindoll. They were so moved, in fact, that they felt compelled to help make Chuck’s teaching available to their fellow Canadians through the Insight for Living radio broadcast. This launched Insight for Living Canada.

As it turned out, Canada was only the first of many countries outside the United States to receive Chuck Swindoll’s daily broadcast. And what started small in Canada in the 1980s is now a ministry that crosses the country and impacts millions of people. Each day in every province, Insight for Living Canada reaches men and women, boys and girls for Christ. Insight for Living Canada presents God’s Word in innovative and effective ways that address the issues faced daily by individuals and families—like marital conflict, illness, financial stresses, and broken relationships—while always maintaining the integrity of God’s will and purpose for the ministry.

Through almost three decades, God has blessed Insight for Living Canada. His provision through the faithfulness of ministry partners has enabled the ministry to expand beyond what anyone imagined. Growth brings new challenges, new opportunities, and even greater things for God’s kingdom. Ten years ago, we realized the office space we were renting didn’t adequately suit our needs. In fact, given our tremendous potential for the future, our facilities stunted our ministry development.

When the time came to renew our lease, we received word that the building would be put up for sale with the possibility of increased lease rates. We investigated alternative facility options considering four criteria: future ministry development, additional space for offices and a warehouse, more efficient overall operation, and reduced operating costs.

The opportunity arose to purchase a new facility uniquely designed to meet exactly these four criteria. Our board of directors and Insight for Living Ministries president, Cynthia Swindoll, gave their enthusiastic endorsement for the new building, located in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

In order to facilitate the purchase of this space situated in an attractive, light-industrial area, we contacted our ministry partners and asked them to join us on this adventure of following God into the future. We requested that no funds be sent that would detract from the regular giving, because we desired to provide more ministry—not less—as a result of our new home.

We purposed to raise the full amount of the cost of the building in one year so we could pay off the mortgage and avoid renewing a further term. We received enthusiastic support from our ministry partners through contributions of monthly pledges, one-time gifts, and gifts of publicly traded securities. As a result of this prayerful and generous support, we paid the mortgage within one year of moving into our new facility! Virtually every dollar paid on the mortgage freed a dollar for ministry, as the funds once utilized for facilities could then be directly placed into ministry.

In April 2003, Chuck and Cynthia Swindoll formally dedicated our building to the glory of God. In our lobby, you can see an artist’s rendition of the building inscribed with this verse:

Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it.
(Psalm 127:1)

Because we own our facility, we have the freedom to make structural changes to accommodate ministry expansion. Several years ago, we built a media area with a photo studio. This workspace allows our creative media and marketing teams to work together. We’ve also added a recording studio with a soundproof booth for in-house recording. These additions have greatly enhanced the way we communicate online, in print, and on the air.

Today, the communication of God’s truth is vital, and we are committed to doing our part faithfully. The move to our own facility has been a major step forward in our plans for the future of Insight for Living Canada. It has helped us build a strong foundation for ministry for years to come.

About the author

Joy McKee

Joy McKee is the communications manager at Insight for Living Canada, where she gives oversight to content and human resources. She and her husband, Colin, have two grown daughters and two grandsons. They live in Surrey, British Columbia.

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