Offering a Church's Greatest Resource to God's Kingdom
Thoughts about using a church's facilities as one of the best ministry resources.
Rundown:
FTI Blog Post 108 is an article on congregations.
Offering a Church’s Greatest Resource to God’s Kingdom
After what Carl said there was no way Calvary Church was going to let the new Korean congregation use their church facilities.
No one checked his story to be sure it was true. It fed into the fear of the unknown in this completely white middle-class church.
Allowing a new Korean congregation to meet in their church facilities was turned down. The church had a significant amount of unused space. The Korean congregation could meet during the same hours as the Calvary Church. Parking was plentiful.
The church had both the financial income and reserves to support the expenses they would incur having another congregation meet in their facilities. No rent or reimbursement would need to be charged.
But the fact that Carl had a friend whose church had one bad incident when they allowed a Korean congregation to meet in their facilities impacted the vote.
Besides, it was Calvary’s building. They paid for it. They had memorabilia in every room. They laid claim to every space even though some rooms were hardly ever used. The church attendance was half what it was two decades ago.
Too Many Churches are Like Calvary
The name of churches who reject ministry opportunities to share the facilities resources God provided to them are known by the biblical name Legion. For there are many of them. (See Mark 5:9.)
But there are others whose name must be Servants. They are missional. (See Mark 9:34-35.)
Fortunately, we can point to many stories of servant churches. (Based on real case studies which illustrate the principles and practices depicted in this story.)
Can We Squeeze One More Congregation Into Our Facilities
Boulevard Church started in an existing church facility purchased when another congregation ceased to exist. It was located in a strategic place for reaching various people groups in a large urban area.
Within a few years five or six congregations were simultaneously using the facilities on any given Sunday. Some would come and stay for a few years until they moved to their own location. A couple saw this as their permanent home.
An interesting story circulated for several decades about this shared location. It was that the church facilities manager complained about all the foul-smelling food that often clogged up the drain in the kitchen sink each week.
One Monday he arrived at the church and the sink was clogged again. He decided to figure out who kept doing this. He took the pipes under the sink apart and laid out on a table the contents.
He discovered food that was characteristic of each ethnic group that met in the church facilities. It was a great example of the mosaic of congregations who used the facility as a great resource for God’s Kingdom.
He never complained about the clogged sink again.
Our Facilities are A Gift to Our Church Context
StoneRidge Church relocated to a much larger campus when facilities and parking space became too small for this growing congregation. It invested significant resources in land, facilities, and parking.
In recognition of the investment they made in the new site, they made a commitment to offer their facilities to their community context. They did so in ways that seem unusual for many churches.
They offered the use of their facilities to their community, non-profit organizations, businesses, and government agencies for events. Training, receptions, board meetings, and other gatherings compatible with the use of church facilities took place.
The church established several unusual policies. First, no other religious group could use the facilities except for church ministries related to StoneRidge. If another congregation used the church facilities, it was one StoneRidge was directly sponsoring or supporting.
Second, only non-religious groups could use the facilities beyond the ministries of StoneRidge.
Third, if a StoneRidge church group wanted to use part or all of the facilities on a non-core day and time during the week—such as not on Sunday or another primary church programming day—they may not be able to use it.
If a non-religious group requested that same day or time, the church group must find another day and time to meet or meet at another location.
Fourth, the church policy for outside groups required a church staff member to bring greetings to the gathered people. They spoke briefly about the church and its ministries and offered materials about the church to participants.
The long-term result of this approach was that within a decade or so, over half of the participants in the church were people who first came to the church facilities for a non-religious event.
Weddings at Covenant Place
A new pastor arrived at Covenant Place Church. The church was languishing. They had an attractive and appealing sanctuary which seated about 225 people. On a typical Sunday 60 or so people gathered for worship.
Located in a former small town that was now a crowded suburb near a major city, their setting was picturesque. This added to the attraction of their church facilities to the historical society and tourists.
The church hoped their new pastor would suggest ideas that would help them have a fresh start. They felt their ideas were old and tired.
Free weddings! That is what the pastor proposed. Their initial response was, “Huh?” Then he explained his idea.
At first it was a hard sell to the congregation. The church received fees from people who wanted the beauty of their setting and their sanctuary for their wedding.
The church should offer weddings by making the church facilities available for free. He would do premarital counseling and perform the ceremony. The wedding director, organist, some ushers, and from hospitality people also needed to volunteer their time.
His idea involved group pre-marital counseling. He would require the couples to attend church for two months. It did not have to be Covenant Place. It could be a church of their choice.
What happened?
Within the first year their offer became popular in the area. Particularly for second and third marriages involving blending families. Six or more couples were in each pre-marital counseling class.
Almost all chose Covenant Place as the church they would attend. Many continued attending after their wedding. Often the pre-marital counseling group became a new small group in the church.
Within three years the weekly worship attendance at the church was more than 150.
Covenant Place became a very different church who was not only known in their community for their lovely setting and sanctuary, but also as a thriving church who successfully connected with families.
Reflections from George:
Sacred! The feeling long-term members have about their church facilities. The facilities are where they meet God.
Memorable! The warm feeling church members have when they gather in the sanctuary or worship center, or other parts of their church facilities, and recall the spiritual experiences and people relationships they had in this place.
Empty! The reality for too many church facilities for too many of the 168 hours in a week.
Once! The number of times many parts of church facilities are used during a typical week.
Ours! The misunderstanding many church members have about their facilities, when the real answer is they belong to God’s Kingdom.
Neglected! The status of too many rooms, hallways, equipment, supplies, and other aspects of church facilities if they are not used on a regular basis.
Deteriorating! What happens to part or all of church facilities when routine maintenance, and ultimately replacement of equipment and essential retrofitting is not done on a regular basis.
Shortsighted! The truth about churches who construct new facilities and have no plan for keeping the facilities in great condition and re-purposing them over the next 50 years.
Inflexible! The reality for way too many church facilities when they were built for one purpose and with load-bearing walls. As church worship and programming change over the years and decades new space must be built because the current space is not as usable as it once was.
Sinful! The hoarding of church facilities by congregations and not wanting anyone else to use their facilities. Plus they are unwilling to change the schedule of when they use their facilities to share space with another ministry.
Selfish! Too many or even all the rooms in the church might be needed at some future date—although we have not used them on a regular basis for years. So, no one else can use them. Also, outside groups will never take care of our facilities like we would.
Reactions:
You are invited to share some reactions (comments) to these case studies and my reflections. Here are three questions to guide your reaction:
How does your congregation view your church facilities? For their use exclusively or primarily versus for whatever is the best use for enhance God’s Kingdom?
What is your policy and practice about outside community-based groups using your facilities?
How can your church serve as a Location Partner for other congregations and ministries that share of the love of God with people?