The Pastor’s Piece – Pastor Kevin Cernek, FCFI Chaplain

July 19, 2026

For the previous two and half decades my wife and I have served the Lord and the people of Martintown Community Church. The ministry has been rewarding and God’s blessings abundant. We’ve always been well-attended for a small country church and over the past few years our church has grown quite a bit.

When Covid came, we did some soul searching and decided to stay open with options. We installed a gigantic digital screen outside and bought a radio transmitter so people could tune into our FM radio frequency and watch on the big screen and listen through their car radio in the parking lot. If they preferred to come inside, the doors were open. This was not a light decision but was reached after much prayerful consideration. We decided to follow Hebrews 10:24-25 in its literal interpretation where it says: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together.” It was my conviction that God wanted us to keep meeting every week. So we did. The result was that people started coming from all around the area and it wasn’t long until we were seeing tremendous growth. We have two services, but the problem is that our sanctuary only seats about one half of all those who attend each service. So, we overflow into the Fellowship Hall where we have a large TV mounted on the wall that we stream to live. We can jam them in there, but it’s difficult to get around and if you don’t come early, you might not find a seat.

The first thing we did with the growth was to expand the parking lot. People were parking along the side streets and even in the ditches along the main highway. It looked like an old fashioned farm sale was happening here every Sunday. Actually, we built a brand new second lot. But that did not solve our parking dilemma. So the next thing we did was double the size of our current main lot. After that, we decided we needed to build a bigger sanctuary. The whole church knew it too. Some members have even been staying home and watching on TV simply because it’s too crowded at church. And that is not good yet it is good at the same time.

So we began talking about expanding. Eventually the Congregation decided on the option to build a whole new sanctuary and connect it to the old one. We also decided not to borrow money for the project – an idea the Congregation liked and quickly accepted. Over the course of two years people gave as they felt led by the Lord and before we knew it 2/3rds of the money we needed to build had come in. That was our cue to start building as we trust the Lord to continue to work in the hearts of His people to provide the balance of what is needed. We went to work submitting our plans to the state and getting approval. That process took about six months and eventually all the legal hurdles were cleared. As you read this column, we have begun construction. It’s an amazing experience.

As exciting as this building project is, the real story isn’t about concrete, lumber, or blueprints. It’s about faith. Buildings don’t change lives – God does. The building is simply another tool He can use to reach more people with the Gospel.

Over the years I’ve learned that faith doesn’t mean having all the answers before you take the first step. If that were the case, it wouldn’t require much faith at all. Faith is moving forward because you believe God is leading, even when you can’t see the whole road ahead. As Paul wrote, “For we walk by faith, not by sight,” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

I’ll admit, there are days when I look at the plans, the equipment, and the price tag and think, “Lord, this is a lot bigger than I am.” Then I’m reminded that’s exactly where God likes His people to be. If we could do everything on our own, we wouldn’t need to trust Him. God has a way of accomplishing extraordinary things through ordinary people who are simply willing to obey.

And if you’ve ever built or remodeled anything, you know there’s always one guarantee: it will take longer than you hoped, cost more than you expected, and someone will ask, “Are we there yet?” before the first wall is even framed. Thankfully, God’s timetable has always been better than ours.

Whether you’re building a church, raising a family, starting a new job, facing an illness, or simply wondering what tomorrow holds, the principle is the same. Faith isn’t just for building projects; it’s for everyday life. God rarely shows us the entire journey. Instead, He asks us to trust Him one step at a time.

Our prayer is that this new building will be filled with people whose lives are being transformed by Jesus Christ for generations to come. Long after the last nail is driven and the paint has dried, that’s what will matter.

In the end, every building will one day grow old. But a life built on faith in Christ will last forever. That’s an investment that never loses its value.

(Kevin Cernek is Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin)