Using the church for the community
It was a few years ago. It was hard to believe that we were genuinely considering selling our large beautiful facility, including our 1,100-person 19th century sanctuary. At an annual meeting in our much smaller church chapel, we had an open discussion about the future of our facility. Many expressed Spirit-filled statements of the church being more than a facility. It was a good time of reflecting on who we are without 217 Main Street. At the same time, members expressed the heartfelt blessing that both the location and the beauty of the facility had been for us. It was a spiritually mature conversation.
An unexpected blessing
Fast forward a few years: here we are still in our facility, having made multiple upgrades and improvements. As I write this, the Chapel-Parlor is having its floor redone after removing the asbestos and the lighting changed out. Plans are in the works for the foyer ceiling to be replaced. We are actively looking to spend a $26,400 Safety and Security Grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Our sanctuary remains beautiful and in full use.
How did this happen? Shortly after that annual meeting, we met with some outside counsel to explore what was best for our church family going forward, including the Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of New England Dr. Terry Dorsett. One valuable piece of advice was to seek to rent the facility to outside organizations, including other churches. Our facility sat mostly empty for far too many days of the week.
“It’s time to reset our perspective in this new era. It’s time to reset how we use our facilities. For too many years, church facilities have been primarily for the benefit of members. Occasionally, a church would tout the building of a new facility as a way to reach the community. Most of the time, it was an empty promise. As soon as the facility was built, it became simply a new place for church members. What if we were to look at our church facilities from the perspective of the community?” – Thom Rainer, The Post-Quarantine Church.
Giving back to our community
This new strategy would not only provide additional income, it would increase our presence in the community. Since then, we have rented out our facility to multiple other churches for weekly use. We have also allowed non-church ministries and organizations to rent the facility. Some use it free of charge, others give us volunteer labor in return. Some rent or use the space for one-time events, like a special service or a concert. Even now, we are continually open and looking to increase the number of organizations that use our church home from the community. Our facility is becoming a central hub in Haverhill for ministry and mission. There is a new excitement and energy about our church home. Here is a short list of some of the great folks that have used our spaces.
A free weekly community meal and clothing distribution that serves around 120 homeless
A daily drop-in center for homeless and disadvantaged community members to receive shelter, food, clothing, and social interaction
Weekly religious services and children’s programs for a few church plant congregations
Occupational training programs which teach cooking/ cleaning skills to adults with disabilities
A weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings supporting an average of 75 attendees as they seek to overcome addictions.
A small group and transition support group for men recently released from correctional facilities.
Free community courses teaching introductory and advanced American Sign Language (ASL) and English as a Second Language (ESL).
Our facility hosts the theatrical and musical rehearsals and performances of a local private K-12 Christian school Bradford Christian Academy.
An assortment of one-time events including funerals, weddings, theatrical and musical performances, and community meetings.
The pandemic of Covid-19 has only confirmed the wisdom of this decision. Church attendance is way down across the board, and our church services are no exception. At a time when experts expect as many 20% of churches to close due to the pandemic,[1] we know that churches with large utility and upkeep costs are particularly in danger. The reality of our church supporting these costs alone is unrealistic. Not only will our current strategy sustain us with growing additional rental income, but it will also be a source of help for other entities that are financially hurting (we tend to offer our space at considerably lower than typical going rates for function halls or office space). Covid-19 has only sped up what was inevitably coming down the road for local churches.
“It’s time to reset our perspective in this new era. It’s time to reset how we use our facilities. For too many years, church facilities have been primarily for the benefit of members. Occasionally, a church would tout the building of a new facility as a way to reach the community. Most of the time, it was an empty promise. As soon as the facility was built, it became simply a new place for church members. What if we were to look at our church facilities from the perspective of the community?” – Thom Rainer, The Post-Quarantine Church.
There is something particularly good about this: Churches coming together and working side by side in cooperation and the community coming to us daily, even as we are seeking to go and reach them. God is calling us to literally open up the doors to our city.
This paradigm shift may not be right for your church. However, if you are a church with a facility in the community, be open to the opportunities this presents. Can it be messy? Yes. Will it take additional time and energy? Sure. Is it worth it? For us, undoubtedly.
Rick Harrington is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Haverhill, MA.
[1] https://www.christianpost.com/news/1-in-5-churches-face-closure-within-18-months-due-to-covid-19-shutdowns-barna-president.html?fbclid=IwAR0QIECqKEknLVGD0BFHqDs2qyvOr4yHLH3DM57aGP86_8IaYLjC9oVHgqE