Closing Costs: Reimagining Church Real Estate for Missional Purposes

For decades, many different denominations have experienced devastating declines in attendance, finances, and influence. Thousands of church leaders have watched their congregations grow older, smaller, and, in many cases, whiter than their surrounding communities. Rising costs and decreased giving make it virtually impossible to sustain the staff and fabric of these organizations--let alone their spiritual mission. But all hope is not lost. In a clarion call that demands death to bring new life, the local church is tasked with evaluating and ultimately sacrificing all its resources--including underutilized real estate--to bring healing and hope to the poor, marginalized, and disenfranchised. Decades of decline do not foretell the death of the church, and by reimagining their church spaces, congregations can experience revitalization as they grow to better embody their missional purpose.