RESOURCE GUIDE
Sustainable Churches, Creative Building Use, and Flourishing Ministries
Resource Guide
Sustainable Churches, Creative Building Use, and Flourishing Ministries
by Rudy Mitchell and Saranya Sathananthan
There is a sea change underway in how churches approach their properties.
Instead of just opening their doors for Sunday morning worship and weekday Bible studies, congregations are beginning to reassess the use of every square foot they have.
But most pastors and church leaders don’t know much about property management. It certainly wasn’t taught in seminary.
Thankfully, there is a wealth of resources available. From consulting to resource organizations, from articles to books, this list of tools can help church leaders discern how best to steward the assets God has entrusted to their congregations.
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Bricks and Mortals was founded by Rev. Donna Schaper, the senior pastor at Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village, where five churches share space. Bricks and Mortals is a consulting service that encourages parishes to rent out their rooms to soup kitchens, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and musical performances to help balance their books. Website: bricksandmortals.org
“An Airbnb-like model that allows churches to bring in extra income by hosting groups and events at times when they would otherwise be vacant.” The founders are Day Edwards and Emmanuel Brown. ChurchSpace focuses on Houston and Dallas, but the concept could be used elsewhere. The organization is also exploring the potential of more churches renting out their commercial kitchens. Website: bookchurchspace.com
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
LISC has provided funding for pre-development and development by faith-based organizations and churches. LISC has a broad range of supported programs which include providing access to capital through our own investments and the multiplier effects they bring, connecting partners to resources and each other to advance community-driven priorities, and designing and implementing creative solutions to drive systems change. This is a large national organization with a Boston area office downtown. Website: lisc.org
Enterprise is organized around three central goals: to increase housing supply, advance racial equity, and build resilience and upward mobility. To achieve these goals, they operate across three divisions: solutions (programs, capacity building, policy), capital (aggregating and investing capital in housing), and community development. Website: enterprisecommunity.org
Faith-Based Development Initiative (FBDI)
FBDI provides houses of worship with the knowledge and tools to develop underutilized land into affordable homes and community facilities. The initiative is part of Enterprise Community Partners’ efforts to help partners produce and manage affordable housing. General website: enterprisecommunity.org/impact-areas/preservation-and-production/faith-based-development
FBDI also offers an online guide, which is “an affordable housing and community development resource platform for houses of worship.” The guide has an intake questionnaire about your church and its plans, and this can lead to access to resources and customized lesson plans. While Enterprise Community Partners and the Faith-Based Development Initiative operate in many areas of the country, they do not currently offer services in New England. Access the guide: fbdiguide.seinterminal.com/applications/57549d85-30cf-45d8-864a-9c82eb1fbcf3
Good Places “specializes in helping faith-based organizations tap into their existing resources to develop spaces that promote togetherness and build strong communities.” Good Places describes their approach: “Our commitment to develop community-based affordable projects is our starting point. While others might start with the bottom-line and let the community be shaped by the development, our process begins by connecting with community stakeholders first to develop the kind of properties that is shaped by the community.” While the organization is based in Atlanta, they have partnered outside the area. Website: goodplaces.io
Partners for Sacred Places is a national nonprofit “focused on building the capacity of congregations of historic sacred places to better serve their communities as anchor institutions, nurturing transformation, and shaping vibrant, creative communities.” Partners for Sacred Places assists churches to preserve and more fully use their buildings through training programs, fundraising assistance, assessments, an information clearing house, and connections to its professional networks. It also makes grants from its National Fund for Sacred Places. See below for resource publications. Website: sacredplaces.org
Rooted Good “exists to equip churches, leaders, and church-related institutions with resources and processes that build confidence and capacity as we imagine and become something new for the good of the world.” Led by author Mark Elsdon and others, this organization uses consulting, how-to guides, and courses to empower churches “to creatively use their church buildings and property to further their mission and generate new forms of income.” Website: rootedgood.org
YIGBY wants to help faith leaders navigate the home-building process. Instead of relying on tax credits for development, the group hopes to demonstrate how foundations, corporations, and wealthy people can help increase the supply of affordable housing. Evan Gerber is a developer and consultant with the organization. Website: yigby.org
Ebenezer Urban Ministry Center
Bishop R.C. Hugh Nelson, lead pastor at Ebenezer in Brooklyn, worked with Brisa Builders Corporation on Ebenezer Plaza. This project includes 523 affordable apartments, 43,000 square feet of sanctuary and ministry space, and 21,000 square feet of commercial space in Brownsville. Website: cogef.org
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Anderson, Lorraine. Under One Steeple: Multiple Congregations Sharing More than Just Space. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2012.
Anderson shares first-hand experience as a pastor working with multiple congregations, sharing building space, and developing community among diverse churches and organizations. Her book shares many practical and spiritual insights.
Barna Group. Why Church Design Matters in Ministry, a three-part series
Making Space for Inspiration: This study looks at “ways people connect with spiritual and everyday spaces. Just as a visitor might journey through your church building, it starts with an overview of the feelings and perceptions people might bring with them into a space and what the Church can learn from this.”
Making Space for Community: The second part of this series “explores the beliefs, desires and expectations people have about the church building and its purpose. It also has insights and ideas from pastors, Bible scholars, professors, architects and more with valuable expertise related to church design for ministry impact.” Research reveals ideas on how buildings can foster community and communion with God.
Making Space for Formation: The third volume in this series shows “how church buildings can help bridge the discipleship gap, grow meaningful relationships and serve as a beacon of hope for the community.” Pastors and leaders considering building renovations or redesign may find help here in considering how building design can contribute to discipleship and spiritual formation.
Brozan, Nadine. “Sacred Space but Earthly Challenges.” New York Times, April 25, 2004. P.1.
Using examples from the New York City area, Brozan describes the dilemmas and decisions facing churches with aging buildings needing repair and renovation. For instance, West Park Presbyterian Church faced significant neighborhood opposition when an architect proposed tearing down the historic building and replacing it with a large high-rise and modern-style church. The neighbors proposed to preserve and adapt the historic building. The article also raises the question of whether gaining “landmark status” will positively or negatively impact a church’s plans.
Christopher, Matthew. “Why Are There So Many Abandoned Churches?” Atlas Obscura, 29 Feb. 2024. atlasobscura.com/articles/abandoned-churches
Christopher documents abandoned churches with striking photographs and a few reflections and memories. “Changing neighborhoods, loss of faith, even heating bills make places of worship among the most common types of forgotten places.”
Claiborne, Shane. “New Life Can Come Out of the Compost of Christendom.” Twitter / X post. Video. Birmingham, England, June 7, 2023. twitter.com/ShaneClaiborne/status/1666599947800567808?s=20
Shane Claiborne and Dr. Ash Barker give an informal tour of Lodge Road Community Church in Birmingham, England. A dying church with a mostly unused building was resurrected and the building is now full of positive activity on a daily basis. This candid tour reveals what it looks like when a church fully uses its building to serve the community throughout the week.
Congregational Business Consultants (The). Guide to Utilization of Church Property: How To Evaluate Your Church’s Real Estate For More Full Use. Boston: Diocese of Massachusetts, 2010.
Although this guide was written for the Episcopal Diocese, it covers many practical details that any church should consider when renting out or making available its building to outside groups. Churches should not be discouraged from renting space by potential issues which may come up, but anticipate those issues and make plans to address them. The guide also points out that non-mission uses of the church could grow, “taking a disproportionate role in the church’s life,” and these uses could seem like “the tail is wagging the dog.”
Cook, Daniel. 10 Tsunamis Impacting Ministries: How Do We Survive What's Coming. Ogden, Utah: Building God’s Way Services, 2015.
Deymaz, Mark with Harry Li, The Coming Revolution in Church Economics: Why Tithes and Offerings Are No Longer Enough, and What You Can Do About It. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2019.
Duemling, Bianca. “Shared Worship Space - An Urban Challenge and a Kingdom Opportunity,” Emmanuel Research Review 74 (Jan. 2012).
This is an excellent resource for understanding aspects of sharing worship space, creating agreements, and getting advice from the hosting congregation and guests on what contributes to successful partnerships.
Elsdon, Mark, editor. Gone for Good: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2024.
This is a key resource covering many aspects of the challenges facing churches and their buildings. Churches need to focus on and renew their mission and vision. “Highest and best use of church property must begin with the question, ‘What maximally productive use of this property will best advance the mission of the church?’” Another helpful question for churches is, “What are God’s dreams for our neighborhood?” Various authors explore working with an advisory team, partnering with developers, and connecting with city planning.
Elsdon, Mark. We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2021.
Freed, Stacey. “Amid a Housing Crunch, Religious Groups Unlock Land to Build Homes.”New York Times, Jan. 24, 2024, 5ff
Arlington Presbyterian Church in Virginia and the Ebenezer Plaza project in Brownsville, New York City, provide two examples in this article of churches using their assets to address the need for affordable housing. Churches in many cities own in total, thousands of acres of land. Some of this has potential to meet community needs for more housing or community services.
Faith and Leadership. “How the Church Can Serve Society by Changing the Way it Handles Property.” 20 February 2024. faithandleadership.com/how-the-church-can-serve-society-changing-the-way-it-handles-property
Faith and Leadership newsletter summarizes key points from the book Gone for Good? and interviews Mark Elsdon, the author, for further insights.
Hughes, C. J. “For Churches, a Temptation to Sell,“ New York Times, Oct. 6, 2019, Real Estate, p. 1.
Kiley, Christopher John. "Convert! The Adaptive Reuse of Churches," Master of Science diss., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/35692/56409883-MIT.pdf
Kretzmann, John P., and John L McKnight. Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s Assets. Chicago, Ill.: ACTA Publications and the Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 1993. See pages 143-160: “Local Religious Institutions and Community Renewal.”
Identifying assets and resources in the church and in the community can provide opportunities to develop mutually beneficial partnerships. Kretzmenn and McKnight value the role churches can play in this asset-based community development. They document many different examples of churches using their facilities and resources in innovative ways to benefit and build communities. The authors also look to the church to offer a “visionary framework” for economic and social justice and for altruism and moral guidance.
Miller, Kim. Redesigning Churches: Creating Spaces for Connection and Community. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 2013.
Churches can be inspired by the creative ideas in this book, even with limited budgets. Miller shows how to transform and redesign physical spaces with new vitality to help people “experience connection to God and community with others.”
Moon, W. Jay. Missional Vibrancy and Financial Viability: Alternative Financial Models for Churches and Church Plants When Tithes and Offerings Are Not Enough. N.p.: Exponential, 2021.
Pappu, Sridhar. “This Duo is Finding New Uses – and Extra Income – for Houses of Worship.” The Guardian, July 6, 2023.
Day Edwards and Emmanuel Brown founded an AirBnB type matching service, ChurchSpace, for churches seeking to rent space for additional income and community engagement. ChurchSpace is currently focusing on Houston and Dallas.
Partners for Sacred Places. “The Economic Halo Effect of Historic Sacred Places.” Sacred Places: The Magazine of Partners for Sacred Places, The National Report, 2016, sacredplaces.org/info/publications, accessed August 15, 2024.
Research studying 90 churches in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Fort Worth found that “the average historic sacred place in an urban environment generates over $1.7 million annually in economic impact. The size and complexity of the economic impact of sacred places provides powerful new evidence that America’s sacred places have enormous community value, a value that is increasingly at risk when these buildings decline and close.” This measurable community value includes not only direct spending and the value of educational programs, but also “catalytic effects” (magnet impacts of visitor spending, value of volunteer time, and shared space for programs and recreation, etc.). Churches with vitality, of course, also can make an even more significant impact spiritually.
Partners for Sacred Places. “Sacred Places at Risk.” 1998. sacredplaces.org/info/publications
This was a “national study of over 100 sacred places in six cities, conducted with Dr. Ram Cnaan from the University of Pennsylvania and published in 1998, that first documented the contributions that sacred places made to benefit the public at large.”
Partners for Sacred Places and Rachel Hildebrandt, with Joshua Castano. Transitioning Older and Historic Sacred Places: Community Minded Approaches for Congregations and Judicatories. Philadelphia, Penn.: Partners for Sacred Places, 2021.
A guide for congregations facing building change and transition. Since these congregations must address a challenging set of questions and choices, this guide can help weigh various options.
Pike, Stephen. Next Wave: Discovering the 21st Century Church. St. Charles, Missouri: ArtSpeak Creative, 2020. See especially chapter 3, “Reinvent Funding.”
Roach, David, “100,000 Reuses for the Church to Find.” Christianity Today, Sept. 25, 2023.
Rooted Good. “How to Develop Well: A Guide to Help Churches Work with a Property Developer.”
Rooted Good. “How to Rent Well: Helping Congregations Navigate their Economic Future.”
This practical manual guides churches as they evaluate and balance the potential mission impact and financial benefits of renting space. It includes case studies, diagrams, charts and checklists to more fully examine the factors and overall costs involved in renting space. Handbook available from RootedGood. Website: rootedgood.org
Rooted Good. “How to Sell Well: A Guide to Help Churches Sell.”
Stiffman, Eden. “To Stem the Housing Crisis, Religious Congregations Are Building Homes.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 2, 2023.
This article highlights the story of the Arlington Presbyterian Church of Northern Virginia which sold its church and property to be developed into 173 units of affordable housing. The church now rents worship space on the first floor of the new building. “Nonprofits and foundations have stepped in to help, and efforts are expanding. Enterprise Community Partners, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and other groups provide religious leaders with training, connections to developers and legal advice, and financial support to help them make informed decisions about whether they should use their land for housing and then guide them through the complex development process.”
Walsh, Brian J. “Sacred Space, Desecration, and Reconciliation: A Story and Some Theses.” The Other Journal at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, Issue 33: Reimagination. N.d.
A biblical theology of sacred space is foundational to decisions about the stewardship and use of church building space. Walsh rejects a simple dualism of sacred and secular places in this world, but considers instead that God created all things sacred and good in the beginning, that all were desecrated through sin, and that through reconciliation and our final hope all creation will be reconsecrated. The author also reflects on the sacred in the body of believers through the presence of Jesus, “A space is sacred because it is experienced as such within the shared stories of a community.”
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The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund: Preserving Black Churches Program
Part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the $60 million Preserving Black Church program seeks to advance preservation activities of historic Black churches including project planning, capital projects, organizational capacity building, financial stability, and programming and interpretation. The program provides grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. To gain an idea of the range of initiatives that have been funded, study the website, which describes 30 recently funded projects and their congregations. Call or write for application details. Website: https://savingplaces.org/black-churches
Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA), MA
CPA MA is a cooperative of 50+ community institutions pooling buying power to negotiate better rates and terms on services essential to nonprofits with facilities to manage. Currently, the Alliance offers six regular programs: electricity, natural gas, snow removal, commercial insurance, waste management, and janitorial services. Website: cpa.coop/massachusetts
Green Congregation Challenge is a step-by-step approach that helps churches take small, but consequential, steps towards protecting God’s Creation. There are four levels of activities designed to help a church grow step-by-step in its environmental awareness and action. Each level has five categories: educate, organize, reduce, reuse, rethink, connect, and advocate. While this plan was designed for New England United Church of Christ churches, other church groups can also take these steps in support of environmental stewardship and justice. Website: sneucc.org/green-congregation-challenge
Insource Services enables your church or organization to outsource some of your human resource, financial, and technology needs and services and to make processes more efficient. Website: insourceservices.com
Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light (Mass IPL)
MassIPL has helped Massachusetts people of faith fulfill our responsibility to be caring stewards of our houses of worship, our homes, and the earth. They offer an environmental stewardship assessment for churches and are an advocacy organization. Website: massipl.org
Its vision is to discover, fund, and walk with leaders who create effective, self-funded organizations, revitalizing strategic and marginalized communities. Supports churches with determining the financial structures they need to develop to reach their mission. Pathmakers provides ground floor catalytic grants, professional advising and funds new ideas and models for economic sustainability and community development. Website: pathmakersfnd.org
Threshold Sacred Development “exists to help houses of worship develop property for the good of the community.” Although author Mark Elsdon is a leader in both RootedGood and Threshold Sacred Development, this organization is oriented more towards implementing the ideas and plans with integrated development services for planning, construction, financing, and managing development. Website: thresholdsacred.com
Vanderbloemen serves teams with a greater purpose by aligning their people solutions for growth through executive search, compensation, succession, and diversity consulting. For over a decade, we have helped Christian organizations of all sizes and types find their key staff. Website: vanderbloemen.com
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Boston Society of Architecture (BSA)
BSA is a non-profit membership organization committed to improving the quality of life for Boston-area residents by championing innovation in the built environment with an emphasis on equity and sustainability. They are connected with many architecture and design firms in the city and sometimes offer pro bono work on community driven design projects. Website: architects.org
Boston Community Preservation Act Funds
City of Boston Funds for historic preservation, affordable housing, open space, and outdoor recreation capital projects. Several churches have received grants for church building preservation projects. Applicants need to start out by filling in an eligibility form, due by August each year. Applicants deemed eligible then fill out an application for their project, due by early November. Website: boston.gov/community-preservation-act
Historic Boston Inc. redevelops at-risk historic buildings in order to help Boston’s neighborhoods thrive. They worked to preserve the building of the former St. James African Orthodox Church in Roxbury. Website: historicboston.org
National Fund for Sacred Places
A program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Fund for Sacred Places provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America. Lilly Endowment Inc. has renewed its support for the National Fund for Sacred Places, extending the program through 2027 and doubling the amount of capital grants available to congregations to more than $20 million. The program provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America, including $250,000 or more in capital grants. Website: fundforsacredplaces.org