Q: Our church has been approached by a congregation from another denomination looking to rent space that we’re not really using. Our council is meeting soon, and while some people are excited about the rental revenue, others are worried about our values not aligning. What should we do?
A: Many of us have buildings we don’t use fully. A faithful question is how to steward these buildings to best carry out God’s mission. Generating revenue that sustains and grows our ministry is good. So too is sharing our space with groups such as small churches that serve migrant and minority communities and don’t have their own building.
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Some practical considerations to bring up with your prospective renters are expectations around special services like Christmas Eve, Holy Week, funerals and weddings. Don’t forget storage — many church buildings are filled with things we don’t need but can’t let go of, and new people coming in may also underestimate how much storage they might need. These challenges can be solved with lots of open communication.
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But values questions can be harder to navigate. If your congregation likes to decorate for Pride, how will your new renter respond? If someone comes to your building for an event or worship service hosted by the other congregation, how will you feel about what is being preached? Some churches, out of a commitment to inclusion and justice, will say that churches that aren’t 2SLGBTQ+-affirming won’t make good renters in their building. Others will say that our commitment to inclusion includes making space for difference.
Whatever you decide, do so thoughtfully and prayerfully, with a spirit of mutuality and hospitality.
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Rev. Mitchell Anderson is the lead minister at St. Paul’s United in Saskatoon. Do you have a query for Question Box? Email mitchelljanderson@gmail.com.
This article first appeared in Broadview’s March/April 2026 issue with the title “Arise with Renters.”
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Whatever you do, draw a contract. Having shared our building and facilities, we saw both sides of the coin. One congregation respected our space, paid rent on time, and we got together as two church families for Thanksgiving dinner and it was great fellowship. (BTW if you do appreciate their presence do this) The other?… You guessed it, they pillaged our sacraments, left dirty dishes everywhere, never agreed to share spaces during special occasions, it was the worst experience we ever had. Fortunately they saw that things were not “going well” and agreed to depart.
Even a simple list of terms and conditions should allow the incoming party see where you stand in sharing your space.