Courageous Discipleship: Reimagining Church Property

What would free your church up to live its ministry fully, as if there were no tomorrow to worry about?

What would it be like if you didn’t have to maintain a building for your congregation? 

What would you do if you could get your hands on some of the equity tied up in the land on which your church sits and give it away in your local community?

How might you redirect your energy if the budget weren’t so tight and you weren’t always one crisis away from financial catastrophe?

What is at the heart of your congregation’s commitment to represent the Gospel in your community?

This is a day to meet some fellow church folks who have answered all of these questions. Their answers are not always easy to hear or easy to replicate. This is a day to set aside the problems that weigh down your leadership and limit your ministry and take the time to look, listen, and imagine, even dream. 

Participants will learn and experience the story of Arlington Presbyterian Church, a church that sold its property, watched its traditional building torn down and has been freed to do amazing ministry in its local community. We will hear an honest accounting of the cost of change and the hard parts along the way to new life. We will also visit some other churches that are at various stages of making major changes in the way their church property is used. Most importantly, we will spend some time imagining and dreaming together about possibilities that are beyond what we readily see.

We will need to limit space in this pilgrimage to about 20 participants. Please indicate your interest in participating on this registration form, and we’ll confirm space by the beginning of September. Please contact the Rev. Anna Olson at the School for Christian Faith and Leadership with any questions.