Turf warfare

Ballet. Bridge. Physical culture.

At every church I have worked at there has been a constant tension surrounding the use of the church buildings, especially the hall.

Churches have the desire, and some would say responsibility, to open their facilities to the public. There are only so many large halls that are available and often churches feel guilty about theirs sitting vacant.

Additionally, churches get accustomed to the income that rolls in from renting out their buildings.

And this isn't all bad. Ministry is made possible with this income. People have their wages paid with this cash. Resources are purchased with this money.

But... Here is where the tension lies.

Inevitably there comes a day when a church wants to do something new and they find it near impossible since there are no appropriate times when their building is empty.

I wish there was an easy answer to the conundrum. There isn't. Or at least I've never found nor heard one.

Perhaps, when this arises, it can be seen as an opportunity for the church to do ministry outside of the church space. For a new ministry, this could remove one of the barriers that new attenders need to leap.

But the tension still remains...