Reutilize Your Unused Church Space

When you signed the lease for your church, there was probably a mix of excitement, joy and maybe even a hint of uneasiness. You wouldn't have signed the lease unless you were 100% sure that this was the right step to take, but I don't doubt that there were some heavy questions in mind as you signed and walked through the space that you were now responsible for.

I know that feeling well. I felt it as I moved out of my mentor's church and found a building to grow my church. I felt it as I signed for a commercial space for that building. It was an important and meaningful step for my church, but there were certainly questions that had me wondering what I was going to do about a building that devoured almost all of my church's budget.

I walked through and wondered not only about the budget, but about how many vacant rooms I would have as our work happens only a few days out of the week. I'm Justin Knapp, and as the senior pastor for my church for the past five years, I want you to know that I've been where you are, and you're not out of options.

What to do with your unused church space

If you've never heard of space sharing, it's time to tune in.

"Where are we going to meet?" As a pastor, you've probably asked this question before. It's a stressful one, and I've also had to ask it numerous times during my time in ministry. But now that you have your own building, you don't have to wonder where you're going to meet. It's a great feeling, but it comes with a lot of responsibility, and with responsibility comes consequences. The consequences I'm talking about are financial, and they can be serious stressors. Renting your building is expensive and can be financially draining for your church. I know that I used to feel the stress of this when I would wonder how I was going to keep the doors open while only operating two days of the week.

If, like me, you're using your church's building two days a week, then there are five days you aren't using it. You're paying 100% of the time for your building and only using it for 28% of the week. That's an enormous gap and a lot of wasted money. Now, imagine renting out some of the rooms a few nights of the week. You could go from paying 100% to 60% to 40% and so on as you open up more underutilized parts of your building. That's a lot of money every month that can be redirected to passion projects, missions, and community involvement. Not only are you making it financially easier to operate, but you're now able to do more with what you have.

Remember that question you used to ask: "Where are we going to meet?" There are still people all over your community asking that question. These can be students, nonprofit leaders, group therapy, and other churches that aren't ready to sign their lease. By opening your doors to this range of people with a cause and a need, you're feeding the growth and involvement in your community. This, in turn, grows your church. By opening your doors, you have the ability to make a substantial impact on your community.

Many of you might worry about what will happen to your building if you allow people you don't know to operate out of it. This is a legitimate concern because unless you plan on being at your church all of the time to keep watch, you won't know exactly how things are going. Here's the thing: have trust in people. Get to know your renters and see what you can do to help them and their cause thrive. It's your house and you make the rules!

Where to start

If this sounds like the right option for your church, then I recommend giving SpaceTogether a shot. Since I began using SpaceTogether as a platform for space sharing in my church, I've had no less than three renters at a time. This has significantly lowered my overhead, and I have provided multiple people from my community with the opportunity to work towards their mission at a much lower cost than finding a commercial space for themselves (many of whom wouldn't be able to afford that).

From finding qualified, verified people to share space with to getting the details setup, SpaceTogether is here to help you along the way. So if you're ready to turn your unused space into growth for your church and community, while lowering your overhead, then let SpaceTogether help you. After you sign up on their website, you'll be asked to talk about your space, upload pictures and then potential renters will connect with you. Secured payment happens through the site, so there aren't any extra challenges on your part. They make it easy and simple, so you can do more with what you have.