The idea of a church renting space has popped up now and again on this site. I thinks this article does a particularly good job of demonstrating the concept.
Here’s the theory. Most churches spend a huge percentage of their budget on buildings. Buildings are expensive to pay for and to maintain. Moreover, growing churches outgrow them. And as pointed out in the article, there are communities where buying land is just well nigh impossible.
Therefore, more and more churches rent. And those churches that do often find themselves with financial resources that allow them to do other things — like vigorously plant churches elsewhere … that rent.
Kairos sometimes refers to their church model as “church in a box,” lugging equipment and such around in a trailer, like the one pictured.
It’s a different approach from what we’re used to, but an important one, even to established churches with paid-for buildings. Do you know why? Because those big established churches with paid-for buildings need to be planting churches somewhere else — or even across town — with a church in a box.
If I had my way, just like we once had churches that owned fleets of buses, we’d all own fleets of trailers packed full of equipment to take around town each Sunday morning, taking church to the neighborhoods, apartments, and projects.
Think that would change your community? and your church?
I have always thought about this. Our silence hermeneutic if applied consistently would outlaw buildings especially large expensive ones since the church of the New Testament only met in homes and free public places. There is a negative stigma surrounding the traditional church building regardless of the denomination. That is why the church we planted meets in a large informal office suite. Again we can look at this through a missional mind set or a maintenance mind set. Mission should always drive whatever we do as a local church.
The question of good stewardship rears its head when rental vs. ownership is under discussion.
Every penny a congregation spends in rent is a penny that will never be seen again.
The money a congregation spends on buying and developing property is an investment, much like how congregations often keep most of their funds in high-yield accounts and only keep enough in regular accounts for day-to-day operations.
In our culture it is a question worth examining closely. BUT, the idea of a stately and well-invested congregation using the equity it has built up to buy "churches in boxes" and use them in BORROWED areas around town (apartment complexes, school auditoriums, etc) is exhilarating!
in HIS love,
nick
Although I also like the idea (that Jay has discussed before) of funding mobile low-cost health care stations too!
And clean-up (beautification and ecology) projects!
The mission ideas for being seeds of new creation in our localities abound!