Buildings

Buildings are an important part of a church's presence in the community. Where a church has worshipped in their building for many decades, or even centuries, there is a rich history and deep connection to the local area. Church buildings are often appreciated and cherished by people unaffiliated with Christianity, who value the Church's tangible presence within the community. Sometimes unaffiliated people see a church as 'their church,' even if they never attend. On a very practical level, buildings provide much-needed space for worship and for community activities.

Along with the many blessings of buildings, however, come significant responsibilities. Maintaining buildings is costly, both in terms of money and time, particularly for churches that own their building. It is important, therefore, to consider carefully what building space is required for the mission of the church and the circuit when engaged in mission planning. This is not simply a case of 'to keep or to sell'. There are many creative options which can be considered.  

People have strong emotional attachments to their church buildings, and facing the possibility of letting them go, or of seeing them change, can be very painful. It is important to emphasise that, even if you conclude that it is time to let go of a building, this does not mean closing the church. It is recommended that you deliberately postpone discussions about buildings until you have a strong sense of your circuit's mission priorities and of the governance structure that will be needed. Discussions about buildings can become an unhelpful distraction if they happen too soon, preventing people from engaging positively with the mission planning process.

For each building under consideration, there are a number of creative possibilities. Here are some examples. They are not all mutually exclusive: some of these options could be combined. Even if you use your building in new ways, you may not need to do any building work. You certainly do not need a shiny new building to start engaging in mission.

Keep building

a) Build on current missional uses

Think about how to deepen and expand the ways in which your building is currently being used for mission, in order that it reaches its full mission potential. For example, if you already have a toddler group or coffee morning, consider how you could have deeper conversations with your group members and share faith in natural ways.

b) Use the building in new ways

Embracing new uses for an existing building can bring new life and new connections. Options could include any combination of the following, which may not require any building work. Be sure to ask yourselves how any of these uses will be distinctively Christian. How might people meet with God and be touched by grace through coming to your building?

• Community hub. Inviting the wider community into the building opens the possibility of new relationships and partnerships, but these have to be actively cultivated. Consider how you will not simply host your community but build deep relationships with its members.
• Café. Food and drink creates a relaxing environment, but making money from a café is very tough, and its missional purpose needs to be carefully thought through. Genuine hospitality that builds deep relationships is costly.
• Retreat/wellbeing centre. A space could be curated to enable people to have spiritual experiences and to support their wellbeing. Consider how you would connect people who used the space with your church community, rather than simply offering an anonymous prayer tree or quiet space.
• Debt/benefits advice centre/food bank. These are great options, if the work of listening to people with lived experience of poverty has been done, and these services are needed. Don’t assume you know what people need, or that you need to provide a service.
• Charity shop/clothing bank. Lots of great benefits: making money for mission; offering volunteering opportunities for the community, including people who might struggle to find volunteering opportunities elsewhere; offering free or low-cost items to people experiencing poverty; promoting second hand and cutting carbon. Community listening work would need to be done to ensure the shop/bank is needed, is in a good location, and that there is a big enough pool of volunteers.
• Sharing your building with other Methodist churches, including Methodist fellowships and congregations who worship in other languages. Consider how you could build deep friendships of mutuality rather than simply sharing a space. What missional possibilities could you explore together that might not be possible alone? You could also share your building with churches from other denominations.

c) Redevelop the building to embrace new uses

Again, this is not an exhaustive list, and some of these options could be combined:

• Building work to enable any of the options under b), such as installing a commercial kitchen.
• Redeveloping part of the site as new housing, such as social housing, while retaining a worship/community space.
• Installing bed and breakfast accommodation for tourists, pilgrims or those on retreat. Check out the Peak Wesley Way for inspiration.
• Soft play or children's activity centre. A creative option for reaching young families, but relationships with young families won't just happen - they need to be cultivated.

You could consider the possibility of working with a housing association or property developer to enable some of these options.

d) Replanting a New Place for New People (NPNP) or Church at the Margins (CaM)

As explored on the circuit mission planning page, there may be buildings within the circuit that have potential to house a NPNP/CaM - for example, if they are near an area where new housing is being built. The existing worshipping congregation could share their building with the NPNP/CaM, or perhaps hand over the building entirely to the NPNP/CaM team. This could bring new life and a new chapter for an existing building. But there is potential for tension with the existing congregation. Clear expectations and healthy communication would need to be established.

• If your circuit is exploring beginning a NPNP/CaM and looking to repurpose an existing building where a congregation has ceased to meet, this could be an opportunity to explore replanting. Please contact the E&G team for specific help with this.
• If your building is in a rural context, as well as exploring the NPNP/CaM uses listed above, please also consider wider ecumenical working to maintain a Christian presence within your community. Contact the Rural officer for further help.

e) Heritage use

Historic places of worship have public value, offering an open door to a quiet space. They are also one of the best freely-accessible collections of important art, architecture, family history, national craft and generations of memory. Their heritage can provide a valuable opportunity to explore rootedness, authenticity and purpose, as well as attract tourists and play their part in pilgrimage and heritage trails. Mission through heritage is not about dwelling on past glories, but about enabling unaffiliated people to connect with God through engaging with a building’s heritage. Some Methodist properties use their heritage to tell a story with resonance for unaffiliated people today, such as Englesea Brook. Others combine heritage and a space for retreat in creative ways, such as Chapel in the Fields. You can find lots of other stories to inspire you here.

When considering possibilities for keeping existing buildings, keep in mind The Methodist Church's commitment to Net Zero by 2030. There is guidance here for reducing the environmental impact of church buildings.

Sell building

Before you consider selling, remember that buildings in low income communities are often among the first to be sold. What are the justice implications of selling your building? Is it needed by your community?

Sometimes, however, selling a Methodist building is the right thing to do. Here are some options to explore if you conclude that your building no longer meets your missional needs and redevelopment is not an option:

a) Buy a new building

You may decide that you still need a building for mission, but that it’s better to sell the one you have and buy or lease another – perhaps in a location that serves your community better, or configured in a way that makes mission easier, such as a café or shop unit.

b) Meet in someone else’s building

While people have strong attachments to church buildings, a Methodist church is the people not the building. A Methodist society can live a Methodist Way of Life together with or without a building. A local congregation could hire a room in a community centre, for example, in order to free themselves from the burden of running and maintaining a building, or meet online. Depending on the size of the congregation, they could meet in someone's home. A church building may not be the best place for mission: meeting in a public space could make the church more visible and accessible for unaffiliated people, and encourage creative thinking.

c) Cease worship

You may discern that the time has come to cease to worship, releasing you from all the demands of being a trustee body and maintaining a building. Where this is the case, a good ending can be embraced, in which all that has been is celebrated, giving thanks to God. The Ministries Team have put together some resources for enabling good endings.

d) Reinvest for mission

Whether you meet in another building or cease to meet, funds from the property sale can still be reinvested for mission. They could fund a pioneer appointment, for example, be used to begin a social enterprise, or be offered for use by a NPNP or CaM. In this way, one ending can serve a new beginning elsewhere. The circuit mission plan will have revealed where extra resources might best be used.

The Connexional Property Team are there to offer advice and support - ask for their help as you discern the best missional use of your church property. For detailed guidance on mission and property, consult the Strategic Guidance for the Use of Property in Mission. If you are discerning a need for a property project, check out the Property Development Pathways.