Most churches do not have a building that fits their mission. Buildings don’t change very quickly, and communities do. Churches grow in number, shrink in number, develop new needs, develop new mission priorities, and gain new members in a different part of town. All this happens while the building stays in place.
This problem gets worse when you learn that it is costing churches an average of $70,000 every year to maintain their current real estate.
It seems our churches are saddled with more buildings than we can handle. How did we get to this point?
How we got more buildings than we needed
In the post world war era, the church in the United States exploded. Returning men and women who served their nation overseas saw the continent of Europe devastated by war. Their resolve was never to let such happen on American soil, which then led to a building boom in the United States never seen before. Housing, public buildings like schools and hospitals, and of course churches all were part of the frenzy.
Every church vowed to build classrooms, gymnasiums, and fellowship halls. No longer was it just a sanctuary with a small office for the pastor. We wanted more facilities for an emerging Christian growth spurt.
Fast forward seventy-five years to a post covid world. Things have changed quite a bit. Since a peak in the 1960’s the church in the United States has been losing ground when it comes to members and budgets. Those identifying as non-religious are no longer showing up on Sunday morning. An estimated 10,000 churches close across the country every year. Once thriving churches are beginning to have to contemplate selling or redeveloping their buildings for the first time.
The question becomes, how does a church know when the time has come to do something with their property?
How to know when it’s time to rethink your church property
The first and most obvious answer is when the congregation can no longer afford to maintain their property. When the roof is leaking and the boiler needs to be replaced and there aren’t enough resources from a dwindling congregation, then perhaps it’s time to begin such a conversation. (Or not?)
The truth is, many of our congregations have endowment money that can keep a congregation on life support for years after it makes sense to continue. That doesn’t mean the building is being maintained. It only means that the hard conversations about the future can be delayed. Many times those delays mean it’s too late for many options when the money runs out and the time finally comes to have to sell.
It might make more sense to take a different approach.
At Cyclical Church Property, we propose that the right time for a conversation about the future is when a congregation discovers that its mission/vision no longer matches its building and property.
Does an elderly congregation continue to need to maintain a basketball court? Has the neighborhood around the church changed demographically so church members are no longer a reflection of the surrounding neighbors? Maybe changed zoning detracts from the daily operations of a faith community. Finally, ask yourselves, What might this property look like in fifty years if we don’t have a hard but important conversation today?
There’s no better time than the present
Truth is, the perfect time for a conversation about the future of a church building is now, before the building and the congregation find they can no longer support one another.
Cyclical Church Property was created for such conversations. We guide churches through selling or redeveloping their property so that they can continue more faithfully in mission. We are a team of experienced and certified real estate agents who know the particularities of church real estate and can serve you every step of the way.
How to take the first step
If you feel like your church building is no longer matching with your church’s mission, the first step is a free assessment to begin a conversation. We even have resources to help you and your church leadership team begin some healthy conversations on your own. Finally, if your leadership determines that your property needs to be transacted, we have trained agents in every market to help facilitate a faithful transaction that carefully preserves a church’s legacy.
Click here to sign up for a free property assessment so that you can make sure your church’s building aligns with your church’s mission.
