Kingdom Builders FAQ

At Bright Church we are committed to our mission, vision, and values. Kingdom Builders helps to fund these and other ‘Legacy’ projects. Here are some frequently asked questions!

why start kingdom builders?

In March 2019 we launched the first version of Kingdom Builders which allowed people to give either finances, time, or volunteer hours to contribute. However, we discovered that to initiate Legacy projects, we first required capital. Therefore, we changed our approach and narrowed the focus so Bright Church could turn Legacy projects into reality. Another important consideration was that Kingdom Builders would allow individuals to prayerfully plan and budget for this kind of giving 12 months in advance. This means individuals can steward their resources while simultaneously allowing Bright Church to know how much resource is available for future commitments.

when can I join kingdom builders?

You can join anytime, but it’s important to realise that there is a financial commitment to Kingdom Builders. Therefore, once you have either pledged for the following 12 months or given towards Kingdom Builders you can join immediately.

is kingdom builders exclusive?

Grace gifts are recorded in Romans 12:6-9 and refer to the gifts of prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting, leadership, mercy and contributing (giving financially). Different people have different ‘graces’. Churches gather people together with common ‘graces’ all the time. For example, our Creative Team is limited to people with musicianship, vocal and production skills. Our Kid’s ministry is limited to people who have proved they are trustworthy and have a gift to work with children. Our Ministry Team is limited to Department Leaders with the gift of leadership. In each of these teams, we gather, invest, and honour the sacrifice people are making. This is consistent in many areas of Bright Church including regular training events for our Small Group Leaders and our yearly ‘Dream Team Appreciation Night’. Kingdom Builders is no different. We gather those who ‘contribute in generosity’ (Rom 12:8) to honour and invest into them like every other team. Kingdom Builders is not exclusive, its open to everyone but limited to those willing to sacrifice financially to be part of it.

why run kingdom builders events?

There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, it’s important to keep the vision of Legacy alive. Legacy contains some long-term projects and we do not want to forget the importance of this. The second reason we run Kingdom Builder events is to keep everyone informed as we make progress towards our Legacy goals. Finally, as discussed above, it’s part of Bright Church’s culture to gather teams together to invest and honour the sacrifice they are making.

is giving to kingdom builders the same as ‘regular giving’ at bright church?

No. This is not regular giving. This is a group who go above and beyond their normal giving to raise capital for ‘Legacy’ projects. We believe this level of giving will require some level of sacrifice.

are the donations going towards a tax deductable building fund? can I get a tax receipt?

Even though Bright Church are registered as a charity it does not automatically mean your donations to the church are eligible for a tax deductable receipt. For Bright Church to be registered with a Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) status we need to have additional requirement’s which unfortunately Church’s in Australia cannot apply for. To have DGR status we need to be registered as an Public Benevolent institution (PBI) like World Vision or Tearfund. Or, the other way to get DGR status is to have our building fund be used for education purposes like a university or school. Sadly, we can’t justify our Kingdom Builders donations (Legacy Fund) as DGR because it is not being solely used for education purposes.

is giving financially the only way to build God’s kingdom?

No. There are many people around the world who build the Kingdom of God and cannot contribute financially. The term ‘Kingdom Builders’ is not mutually exclusive. Giving financially is just one way you can build the Kingdom of God (Rom 14:17, Matt 28:18-20).

isn’t ‘all giving’ (any amount) considered ‘generous’?

Giving financially doesn’t necessarily imply generosity. Generosity is about the percentage that you give. We believe the biblical definition of generosity is “a good percentage from a right heart” (1 Tim 6:17-19, Mark 12:41-44, 2 Cor 9:5-11). Therefore, we see that someone could be both generous and not be part of Kingdom Builders.

what if I cannot fulfil my pledge?

We encourage people to prayerfully consider their pledged amounts (Luke 14:28). We also accept that sometimes circumstances change and people will unable to fulfill the pledged amount. If this should happen, you can just speak with someone on the Kingdom Builders team and advise them.

what if I really want to be part of kingdom builders but can’t afford it?

For some, affordability means re-arranging priorities (e.g.: consider how much you spend on coffee in a year. One coffee per day costs $2000 a year). However, if someone genuinely cannot afford it -then they should not join. It’s important to note, a person’s value to God or Bright Church has no bearing on whether they join Kingdom Builders. Furthermore, there is no pressure to join Kingdom Builders. The Body of Christ works because different people have different graces (Rom 12:6-9, 1 Cor 12). While you may not be able to contribute as part of Kingdom Builders, you can contribute in other very meaningful ways. As we achieve more together, we also celebrate the successes together because we are one church that sacrifices in different ways. Finally, please remember that you can always contribute towards our Miracle Offering at the end of June. Any amount you can contribute is appreciated.

If you have any further questions about Kingdom Builders, please email: kingdombuilders@brightchurch.com.