You can tell a lot about a congregation by the appearance of its property. Mown grass, trimmed shrubbery, immaculate rest rooms, and an adequate sound system send a message that the people who claim the place take pride in it and are serious about their mission of sharing the gospel. It also means that they love the God they worship and want his house to be fit for a King.

Leaders take care of God’s house. They build a culture in their congregation where all the members feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for their place of worship because it is dedicated to the name and glory of the Lord.

Nehemiah chapter 10 is an extraordinary document. The provincial governor (Nehemiah), regional tribal leaders, priests, and Levites all prepared and signed a covenant document in which they committed as a nation to reform their national life. All the people bound themselves to its provisions with a solemn oath. One key feature was their promise to honor their God by the way in which they cared for his house: “The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept. We will not neglect the house of our God” (Nehemiah 10:39).

If your church building and property look great, whom can you thank? If they don’t, who needs to lead the charge?