The Church & Community Placemaking Lab
A Cohort Experience to Catalyze Community and Economic Development through the utilization of Church Properties
When our neighbors notice a local church, many wonder from where does my help come.
Adaptive reuse and placemaking play an important role in demonstrating how the Church might use her resources for good in the community. In our state’s high-growth areas, many people live in the shadows of success, barely making ends meet. Rural communities and under-invested urban areas lag behind on most measures of well-being. Every possibility for change seems contingent upon outside help.
Overview of Placemaking Lab
Yet every neighborhood possesses one significant asset: underutilized church property.
When churches leverage their role as anchor institutions and place their property in the service of the wider community, equitable and sustainable change is possible.
Churches can leverage their property for community and economic development. Examples include:
Affordable housing and child care, health clinics, shared community spaces, hubs for therapists, coworking, spaces for startups owned by women and people of color, and much more.
The Church & Community Placemaking Lab seeks to generate social impact by helping participating communities:
Align community interests
Leverage Church real estate
Cultivate investment opportunities
An Experience to Catalyze Community and Economic Development on Church Properties
→ Peer learning opportunities where communities sharpen their visions to create positive social impact and financial returns for their respective congregations.
→ Coaching for pastors and lay leaders to help create a culture of imagination and entrepreneurship.
→ Introductions with developers and other partners who can help communities realize their vision.
Convened by the Ormond Center, the Church & Community Placemaking Lab will engage a cohort of religious and community leaders from six-eight locations to participate in a nine-month peer-learning experience. The Lab will prepare community teams to advance reuse or redevelopment projects and equip communities with:
By the End of The Lab Each Congregation Will Have:
✔ A redevelopment or reuse vision that aligns with zoning, neighborhood and political support, and funder interest.
✔ Connections to developers and other strategic partners to help move the project forward.
✔ Local staffing capacity and prepared leadership to help implement the project.
✔ Invaluable connections to stakeholders and strategic partners.
✔ Collaborative relationships among the other participating cohort congregations that will be cultivated through alumni programming.
✔ Pitch deck to share with potential funding partners, business plan to help guide local church leadership, and goals for concrete next steps.
Story Profiles
Explore the stories of churches who participated in the Church & Community Placemaking Lab. Discover what these churches have been dreaming and what they hope to accomplish.
Watch how Central United Methodist Church shares God’s hopeful and participatory love with its community in Asheville.
Watch how All Saints Episcopal Church reimagines service and worship in Warrenton.
Reflections from Members
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“What an amazing thing to do to support communities in reimagining themselves - especially in helping the world become more welcoming."
Gin Reid Hall, Member of the Church & Community Placemaking Lab
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“To me, this seems to be the right time for churches to reimagine and repurpose their properties and become a part of community conversations and efforts.”
Paula Pierce, Member of the Church & Community Placemaking Lab
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“I’m from a place where it should be of the people and free to the people for use. It means opening the church fully and without cost to the community."
Virginia Broach, Member of the Church & Community Placemaking Lab
Get Involved
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Join the Lab
We are currently accepting applications for our 2024/2025 Placemaking Lab. We’d love to connect with you.
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Partner with Us
Denominations or cities continue to express interest in a customized Placemaking Lab for their stakeholders. We’re currently developing a few applications. We’d love to partner with you.
