How-to Guides

RootedGood resources to help your church navigate new economic models for mission and ministry utilizing buildings and properties.

Based on feedback from congregations, RootedGood Created this series of guides to help churches navigate new economic models for mission and ministry with a particular focus on the effective use of buildings and property. These tools can be downloaded in PDF format with a Mycelium membership (along with many other resources) or ordered in beautiful print format through our Blurb store.

How to Rent WellPurchase on BlurbAccess on Mycelium

How to Rent Well

Walkthrough Video

Renting out space can further a church's mission and provide a much-needed home for community organizations and businesses. At its best rental income can both fulfill aspects of the mission of the church and bring in much-needed income. However, there are challenges with developing a rental model: if not done well it can detract from the mission of the church, require significant capital costs, and, unless effectively managed, can easily cost more money than it generates. This tool will help you learn how to build a rental model that works both for your mission and your money by guiding you through the following steps:

Part 1

  • A money and mission alignment framework to guide the process
  • Case studies in rental approaches - what works well and what doesn’t
  • An audit of your space to determine what will work best for rental
  • Prepare to develop your property into affordable housing or something else?
  • Testing to confirm if there is demand for rental space in your location

Part 2

  • True cost analysis to determine what renting out space will actually cost
  • A rubric to evaluate potential renters based on money and mission alignment
  • A list of important aspects to consider when renting such as taxation, leases, staffing, etc.
  • Bringing the congregation along when your church rents out space
How to Rent WellPurchase on BlurbAccess on Mycelium

How to Develop Well

Walkthrough Video

Are you considering building housing or some other development on your property? Are you looking into working with a property developer? This guide will help you get clear on what your congregation needs and wants out of a development on your property so you will be able to move into pre-development and a productive relationship with a property developer.

You will:

  • Work through a process to put together a Development Desires Map and a Sketch for Ideal Development based on six key factors that come up in developing church property
  • Learn key tips to keep in mind when working with a developer
  • Read examples of what church/developer partnerships can look like
  • Find a list of important questions to ask before entering into an agreement with a developer
How to Rent WellPurchase on BlurbAccess on Mycelium

How to Sell Well

Walkthrough Video

Has someone in your congregation said, “maybe we should sell the building?” Then this is the place to start. The sale of a church property is a pivotal and unique moment where a congregation can reimagine how best to further mission in their community. This guide will help build confidence and capacity within a congregation that is considering selling their church property.

How to Sell Well will guide you through exercises and conversation around these vital questions:

  • Why do you want to sell your property?
  • Are there alternatives to selling?
  • What impact will selling have?
  • What will you do with the money from the sale?
  • How do you actually set up the sale?
  • Who will you sell to?
  • Who do you need to engage to assist with the sale?
  • And what will your lasting legacy be on the property?

Other resources you will find with a Mycelium Membership:

What is Mycelium?
A photo of the What About Taxes!? resource on a yellow background.

What about Taxes!?

A guide to the thorny question of taxes for churches that start generating new forms of income.

Preview
A photo of the Money & Mission resource on a blue background.

Money + Mission Alignment

A framework to help you align you money with your mission for maximum good.

Preview
A photo of the I Spy resource on a green background.

I-Spy
Game

A game to play with congregation members to see the gifts and needs around your church more clearly.

Preview

“The question of church property is one of the defining issues facing American Christianity during the next few years.”
‍
– Rev. Joe Daniels, Emory United Methodist Church

How-to-Guide Licensing

Are you a church related institution (like a seminary, foundation or denominational body) looking to make these resources available to churches in your network?

Would you like to provide How to Guides that are branded with your logo or customized to your denominational context?

Contact us about a How to Guide license to purchase the tools in bulk for your use with churches.
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Useful for online or in-person discussions, Let's Talk About Resources is a collaborative tool created in partnership with Lake Institute on Faith & Giving.

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