These quotations support the principles which underlie the  policies for the use and care of the church facility:

 SCRIPTURES:

Exodus 25:8 – ‘And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”

 Leviticus 10:1-3, NKJV – “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.  So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.  And Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord spoke, saying: By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.  So Aaron held his peace. ...distinguish between holy and unholy, ...between unclean and clean, ...”

 Numbers 11:1 – “And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. “

 Numbers 33:52, 53, 55, 56 – “Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. ... But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.  Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.”

 Isaiah 58:1, 2, 4, 6-9, 13, 14 – “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.  Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God” they ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. ..Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. ...Is not this the fast that I have chosen?  To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house?  When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? ...If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” 

 Isaiah 56:7 – “Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”

 Isaiah 59:19; –   “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun.  When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.   62:10 –   “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”

Amos 5:21-24; 7:7, 8; 8:5 –  “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.  Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.  Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.  But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.     “Thus He showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.  And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of My people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:” That ultimate plumbline is seen in Jesus and how He interpreted the law by the way He lived.

 Matthew 21:13 – “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

Mark 11:15-17 [cleansing the temple, den of thieves account].

 John 2:13-17 – “And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My father’s house an house of merchandise.  And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

 Matthew 7:22-24  – “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:...”

Mark 11:22, 24 – “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ...Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ..”

 John 17:26 [In Jesus’ prayer to God He reveals His chief purposes for us.] “And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

II Corinthians 6:16 – “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?  for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

 SPIRIT OF PROPHECY QUOTATIONS:

 Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 492, Behavior in the House of God

This section contains  much worthy counsel about reverence, which indirectly relates to building uses.

“When the worshipers enter the place of meeting, they should do so with decorum, passing quietly to their seats....Common talking, whispering, and laughing should not be permitted in the house of worship, either before or after the service.  Ardent, active piety should characterize the worshipers.

“If some have to wait a few minutes before the meeting begins, let them maintain a true spirit of devotion by silent meditation, keeping the heart uplifted to God in prayer that the service may be of special benefit to their own hearts and lead to the conviction and conversion of other souls.  They should remember that heavenly messengers are in the house.  We all lose much sweet communion with God by our restlessness, by not encouraging moments of reflection and prayer.  The spiritual condition needs to be often reviewed and the mind and heart drawn toward the Sun of Righteousness.  If when the people come into the house of worship, they have genuine reverence for the Lord and bear in mind that they are in His presence, there will be a sweet eloquence in silence.  The whispering and laughing and talking which might be without sin in a common business place should find no sanction in the house where God is worshiped.  The mind should be prepared to hear the word of God, that it may have due weight and suitably impress the heart.” – Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 492.    Quoted in SDA Church Manual, Decorum and Quietness in the Place of Worship, pp. 68,69.

Testimonies V, Behavior in the House of God, pp 491 on.

“We have a sacred, testing, sanctifying truth; and if our habits and practices are not in accordance with the truth, we are sinners against great light, and are proportionately guilty.  It will be far more tolerable for the heathen in the day of God’s retributive justice than for us.” 5T 495

“The place dedicated to God should not be a room where worldly business is transacted.  If the children assemble to worship God in a room that is used during the week for a school or a storeroom, they will be more than human if, mingled with their devotional thoughts, they do not also have thoughts of their studies or of things that have happened during the week.   The education and training of the youth should be of a character that would exalt sacred things and encourage pure devotion for God in His house.  Many who profess to be children of the heavenly King have no true appreciation of the sacredness of eternal things.  Nearly all need to be taught how to conduct themselves in the house of God.  Parents should not only teach, but command, their children to enter the sanctuary with sobriety and reverence. 5T496

“...Because of the irreverence in attitude, dress, and deportment, and lack of a worshipful frame of mind, God has often turned His face away from those assembled for His worship.” 5T499

“...Unless correct ideas of true worship and true reverence are impressed upon the people, there will be a growing tendency to place the sacred and eternal on a level with common things, and those professing the truth will be an offense to God and a disgrace to religion. They can never, with their uncultivated ideas, appreciate a pure and holy heaven, and be prepared to join with the worshipers in the heavenly courts above, where all is purity and perfection, where every being has perfect reverence for God and His holiness.” 

“...This is an age famous for surface work, for easy methods, for boasted holiness aside from the standard of character that God has erected.  All short routes, all cutoff tracks, all teaching which fails to exalt the law of God as the standard of religious character, is spurious.  Perfection of character is a lifelong work, unattainable by those who are not willing to strive for it in God’s appointed way, by slow and toilsome steps.  We cannot afford to make any mistake in this matter, but we want day by day to be growing up into Christ, our living Head.”5T500

 Testimonies to Ministers, p. 424–Sowing Beside All Waters,  The Preaching of Christ

“As far as possible we are to employ the means and agencies that God has given us to introduce the truth into new localities.  Churches must be built to accommodate the people of God, that they may stand as centers of light, shining amid the darkness of the world...”

 Testimonies, Vol 2, p. 321 – A Self-caring, Dictatorial Spirit

“Take hold of the strength of God, and as fast as you see your errors in the past, redeem the time.”

 Child Guidance, p. 542,543–Reverence for the Holy

“Not to Act as in a Common Place.–There should be a sacred spot, like the sanctuary of old, where God is to meet with His people.  That place should not be used as a lunchroom or as a business room, but simply for the worship of God.  When children attend day school in the same place where they assemble to worship on the Sabbath, they cannot be made to feel the sacredness of the place, and that they must enter with feelings of reverence.  The sacred and common are so blended that itis difficult to distinguish them.

“It is for this reason that the house or sanctuary dedicated to God should not be made a common place.  Its sacredness should not be confused or mingled with the common everyday feelings or business life.  There should be a solemn awe upon the worshipers as they enter the sanctuary, and they should leave behind all common worldly thoughts, for it is the place where God reveals His presence.  It is as the audience chamber of the great and eternal God; therefore pride and passion, dissension and self-esteem, selfishness, and covetousness, which God pronounces idolatry, are inappropriate for such a place.”

 Testimonies IX, p. 248–Faithful Stewardship

“God desires all His stewards to be exact in following divine arrangements.  They are not to offset the Lord’s plans by performing some deed of charity or giving some gift or some offering when or how they, the human agents, shall see fit.  It is a very poor policy for men to seek to improve on God’s plan, and invent a makeshift, averaging up their good impulses on this and that occasion, and offsetting them against God’s requirements.  God calls upon all to give their influence to His own arrangement.  He has made His plan known, and all who would co-operate with Him must carry out this plan instead of daring to attempt an improvement on it.

“...His people today are to remember that the house of worship is the Lord’s property and that it is to be scrupulously cared for.  But the funds for this work are not to come from the tithe.”

 Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 392, 393 – Tithes and Offerings

“The gospel, extending and widening, required greater provisions to sustain the warfare after the death of Christ, and this made the law of almsgiving a more urgent necessity than under the Hebrew government.  Now God requires, not less, but greater gifts than at any other period of the world.  The principle laid down by Christ is that the gifts and offerings should be in proportion to the light and blessings enjoyed.  He has said: ‘For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.’ .....

“...When the poor saints at Jerusalem were in distress, Paul wrote to the Gentile Christians in regard to works of benevolence, and said: ‘Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.’  Here benevolence is placed by the side of faith, love, and Christian diligence.  Those who think that they can be good Christians and close their ears and hearts to the calls of God for their liberalities, are in a fearful deception.  There are those who abound in professions of great love for the truth, and , so far as words are concerned, have an interest to see the truth advance, but who do nothing for its advancement.  The faith of such is dead, not being made perfect by works.  The Lord never made such a mistake as to convert a soul and leave it under the power of covetousness.            “...God does not compel men to give.  All that they give must be voluntary.  He will not have His treasury replenished with unwilling offerings.

“The Lord designed to bring man into close relationship with Himself and into sympathy and love with his fellow men by placing upon him responsibilities in deeds that would counteract selfishness and strengthen his love for God and man.  The plan of system in benevolence God designed for the good of man, who is inclined to be selfish and to close his heart to generous deeds.  The Lord requires gifts to be made at stated times, being so arranged that giving will become habit and benevolence be felt to be a Christian duty.    The heart, opened by one gift, is not to have time to become selfishly cold and to close before the next is bestowed.  The stream is to be continually flowing, thus keeping open the channel by acts of benevolence.”

Temperance, p. 219

Context–Concern about our influence being found with loyal and true temperance reformers, not those who indulge intemperate habits while fighting alcohol.   She did support temperance work.

“The house dedicated to the worship of God is not the place to bring in the class that come into the house of God, and defile the temple of God with their intemperance in the use of tobacco while they profess to be temperance advocates.  The coarse speeches, the noisy talk and actions, are not a credit to these brethren.....   “It is impossible for our people to harmonize with any party or temperance club, when our faith is so dissimilar...”

 Testimonies IX, p. 91–Conditions in the Cities

“Even the church, which should be the pillar and ground of the truth, is found encouraging a selfish love of pleasure.  When money is raised for religious purposes, to what means do many churches resort?  To bazaars, suppers, fancy fairs, even to lotteries and like devices.  Often the place set apart for God’s worship is desecrated by feasting and drinking, buying, selling, and merrymaking.  Respect for the house of God and reverence for His worship are lessened in the minds of the youth.  The barriers of self-restraint are weakened.  Selfishness, appetite, the love of display, are appealed to, and they strengthen as they are indulged.”

 Counsels on Stewardship, p. 204, 205–Popular Methods of Appeal,

“Professed Christians reject the Lord’s plan of raising means for His work; and to what do they resort to supply the lack?  God sees the wickedness of the methods they adopt.  Places of worship are defiled by all manner of idolatrous dissipation, that a little money may be won from selfish pleasure lovers to pay church debts or to sustain the work of the church.  Many of these persons would not of their own accord pay one shilling for

religious purposes.  Where, in God’s directions for the support of His work do we find any mention of bazaars, concerts, fancy fairs, and similar entertainments?  Must the Lord’s cause be dependent upon the very things He has forbidden in His word–upon those tings that turn the mind away from God, from sobriety, from piety and holiness?

“And what impression is made upon the minds of unbelievers?  The holy standard of the word of God is lowered into the dust.  Contempt is cast upon God and upon the Christian name.  The most corrupt principles are strengthened by this un-Scriptural way of raising means.  And this is as Satan would have it.  Men are repeating the sin of Nadab and Abihu.  They are using common instead of sacred fire in the service of God.  The Lord accepts no such offerings. 

“All these methods for bringing money into His treasury are an abomination to Him.  It is a spurious devotion that prompts all such devising.  O what blindness, what infatuation, is upon many who claim to be Christians!  Church members are doing as did the inhabitants of the world in the days of Noah, when the imagination of their hearts was only evil continually.  All who fear God will abhor such practices as a misrepresentation of the religion of Jesus Christ.”

 Church Manual Quotations, pp. 67-69, presents principles regarding uses of our facility:

 “The Purpose of the Services and Meetings of the Church – The experience of a Christian is one of spiritual rebirth, joyful reconciliation, faithful mission, and humble obedience to God (2 Cor. 5:17; Phil. 2:5-8) Whatever a Christian does, or participates in, including the services and meetings of the church, is a testimony of this new life in Christ and a sharing of its fruits in the Spirit.  The purpose of the services and meetings of the church is to worship God for His creative work and for all the benefits of His salvation; to understand His Word, His teachings, and His purposes; to fellowship with one another in faith and love; to witness about one’s personal faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice at the cross; and to learn how to fulfill the gospel commission of making disciples in all the world (Matt. 28:19,20).

 “Reverence for the House of Worship – “To the humble, believing soul, the house of God on earth is the gate of heaven.  The song of praise, the prayer, the words spoken by Christ’s representatives, are God’s appointed agencies to prepare a people for the church above, for that loftier worship into which there can enter nothing that defileth.

“From the sacredness which was attached to the earthly sanctuary, Christians may learn how they should regard the place where the Lord meets with His people....God Himself gave the order of His service, exalting it high above everything of a temporal nature.

“The house is the sanctuary for the family, and the closet or the grove the most retired place for individual worship; but the church is the sanctuary for the congregation.  There should be rules in regard to the time, the place, and the manner of worshiping.  Nothing that is sacred, nothing that pertains to the worship of God, should be treated with carelessness or indifference.  In order that men may do their best work in showing forth the praises of God, their associations must be such as will keep the sacred distinct from the common, in their minds.  Those who have broad ideas, noble thought and aspirations, are those who have associations that strengthen all thoughts of divine things.  Happy are those who have a sanctuary, be it high or low, in the city or among the rugged mountain caves, in the lowly cabin or in the wilderness.  If it is the best they can secure for the Master, He will hallow the place with His presence, and it will be holy unto the Lord of hosts.” – Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 491, 492.  Also see Church Manual, p. 164.

 “Children to be Taught Reverence – “Parents, elevate the standard of Christianity in the minds of your children; help them to weave Jesus into their experience; teach them to have the highest reverence for the house of God and to understand that when they enter the Lord’s house it should be with hearts that are softened and subdued by such thoughts as these: ‘God is here; this is His house.  I must have pure thoughts and the holiest motives.  I must have no pride, envy, jealousy, evil surmising, hatred, or deception in my heart, for I am coming into the presence of the holy God.  This is the place where God meets with and blesses His people.  The high and holy One who inhabiteth eternity looks upon me, searches my heart, and reads the most secret thoughts and acts of my life.’” –Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 494.