This morning I just saw a Modern Marvels documentary on the great story of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was built during the crushing Great Depression and the local government didn’t have money to fund the project. So what did they do? They went around canvassing the San Francisco neighborhoods and asked if people would consider getting a lien against their properties to help fund this project. And they did en masse. On November 4, 1930 voters within the district went to the polls and put their homes, farms, and business properties up for collateral to support a $35 million bond issue to finance the bridge. (Adjusted for inflation, that is the equivalent of about $500 million in 2009 dollars.) Voting for the bond issue were 145,697 people, while only 47,005 were opposed.
This bridge was the first of such magnitude to be completely financed by private citizens. (The bonds were completely paid off by 1971 by using only bridge tolls.) What a massive sign of faith and the power of community pride these voters had by trusting in the bridge bonds! You have to consider that for some the timing of the bond election was considered economically reckless as this would create bonded indebtedness during the Great Depression, a scary time for everyone in America with an overall joblessness rate of 25%.
But just over 70 years after being completed ahead of time and under budget, the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most famous landmarks in the world, still proudly stands over the San Francisco Bay, standing as a source of civic pride for an entire city. History was made that day because of a singular belief and a strong faith in the leadership.
This is a great time in the history of Calvary Church, and it’s something we ought to be excited about and eagerly anticipate. Think about it: only four times in Calvary’s past has she grown to such size that she had to move out of her home. By belief in God and faith in His leadership, four times her people stepped out in faith and said, “Let’s build something new.” You are now part of that history. You’ll be part of a building that will be there for a very long time. You’ve joined with the others who rose up in belief and in something bigger than themselves.
It’s a pretty cool thing to consider. So, starting tomorrow, every Friday you will be able to go to our Facebook page and get updates on the building progress. Let’s get excited as we watch this building go up, just like the citizens of San Francisco did watching the bridge rise above the water knowing it was them who helped make it possible! And above all, keep giving, keep praying, and keep looking to Him.
– Matt
civic pridecommunityfaithGolden Gate Bridgehistoryleadership
Being Part of History is About Faith
August 5, 2010
Calvary
Comments Off on Being Part of History is About Faith
Matt
This morning I just saw a Modern Marvels documentary on the great story of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was built during the crushing Great Depression and the local government didn’t have money to fund the project. So what did they do? They went around canvassing the San Francisco neighborhoods and asked if people would consider getting a lien against their properties to help fund this project. And they did en masse. On November 4, 1930 voters within the district went to the polls and put their homes, farms, and business properties up for collateral to support a $35 million bond issue to finance the bridge. (Adjusted for inflation, that is the equivalent of about $500 million in 2009 dollars.) Voting for the bond issue were 145,697 people, while only 47,005 were opposed.
This bridge was the first of such magnitude to be completely financed by private citizens. (The bonds were completely paid off by 1971 by using only bridge tolls.) What a massive sign of faith and the power of community pride these voters had by trusting in the bridge bonds! You have to consider that for some the timing of the bond election was considered economically reckless as this would create bonded indebtedness during the Great Depression, a scary time for everyone in America with an overall joblessness rate of 25%.
But just over 70 years after being completed ahead of time and under budget, the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most famous landmarks in the world, still proudly stands over the San Francisco Bay, standing as a source of civic pride for an entire city. History was made that day because of a singular belief and a strong faith in the leadership.
This is a great time in the history of Calvary Church, and it’s something we ought to be excited about and eagerly anticipate. Think about it: only four times in Calvary’s past has she grown to such size that she had to move out of her home. By belief in God and faith in His leadership, four times her people stepped out in faith and said, “Let’s build something new.” You are now part of that history. You’ll be part of a building that will be there for a very long time. You’ve joined with the others who rose up in belief and in something bigger than themselves.
It’s a pretty cool thing to consider. So, starting tomorrow, every Friday you will be able to go to our Facebook page and get updates on the building progress. Let’s get excited as we watch this building go up, just like the citizens of San Francisco did watching the bridge rise above the water knowing it was them who helped make it possible! And above all, keep giving, keep praying, and keep looking to Him.
– Matt
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civic pridecommunityfaithGolden Gate Bridgehistoryleadership