Church Sharing: The Missing Piece in Your Church Plant

The struggle every church planter knows

Church planting is tough, and there’s no getting around that. There’s so much work that goes into the process, and one of the most important questions to arise is “Where are we going to meet?” Answering that question can be stressful as you determine what your needs are and what you can realistically afford. This can make you feel stuck as you grow out of the space you’re currently in but aren’t ready to commit to an entire building.

I’m Justin Knapp and years ago I was in the exact same place. I was super fortunate to have a mentor with his own church, so I was able to use that space to grow my own church. Having that space was important for my church’s success, but not everyone is as fortunate as I was. While I was lucky to have a mentor willing to house my growing church, I realized when I moved into my own building that many people have to figure this out without the kind of help that I had.

As you ask yourself this question of where to meet, I want you to know your options aren’t as limited as what you may believe. Here’s something you probably haven’t thought of: church sharing.

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What’s the deal with church sharing?

Church sharing is essentially what my mentor did for me by offering his space to my growing congregation. There are tons of churches with a lot of underutilized space, mine included, that could be the perfect fit for another church plant. What it comes down to is you have a need: space. Other local churches have a solution: space. This is what church sharing looks like: you, the potential renter, occupy that underutilized space for a negotiated amount of time during the day, week or month, for way less money and stress than what you would in finding your own commercial space.

With church sharing, “Where are we going to meet?” isn’t the stress-inducing question you’re asking anymore. You have the freedom and ability to spend your time and effort into growing your congregation without the risk of long-term contracts.

Take Agape, a church in Colorado Springs, for example. Agape was in need of a space to grow their church, and ended up planting inside of an established church that was already successful in their own building. After developing meaningful relationships and flourishing in other aspects, it was time to find their own building, and that’s exactly what they did. This journey would have been so much more challenging if church sharing hadn’t been an option for Agape.

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Cool, but how do I start?

Start with SpaceTogether. This company was born from the needs of pastors, like you, who were looking for a place to plant their church without the stress and financial burden of signing a long-term commercial lease.

The best part is the simplicity and ease of using SpaceTogether. I, a pastor with space, upload a description and pictures of the church space I want to be occupied. You, a church planter, find my profile and think it could be a good fit. If it is, then SpaceTogether handles the financial aspect, so your church can continue growing without worrying about all of the extra details. They handle the monthly transactions, and you can build your congregation in the perfect place. And once you grow out of that space, you can find another flexible option or get into your own long-term lease.

The missing piece

There are so many churches in your area with unused space. If you’re outgrowing your current space, whether it’s your living room or garage, the next step isn’t necessarily an entire building. Long term commercial space is not the only option; grow your organization with space sharing. From finding good, reliable shared spaces to handling logistics along the way, SpaceTogether is here to help you. I can testify that SpaceTogether is there to help find the right place for you, not the other way around. Remember that this is how they got started, for people like you and I. If you’re ready to take the next step in growing your church, give SpaceTogether a shot. You can click the little blue circle in the corner or sign up here.

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