There are 168 hours in a week: how many of those hours is your sanctuary in use? Churches across the country are asking this question as the digitization of the world has redefined gathering, fellowship, and communion. Once the literal and figurative centers of towns, churches are now facing a twofold dilemma of declining participation and rising maintenance costs. The vast square footage of a sanctuary requires heating, cooling, and maintenance, even if empty most of the week. Rather than viewing this reality as a burden, a growing movement among urban planners, architects, and community leaders is reimagining how sacred spaces can transition into vibrant hubs for modern life. 

What is Church Placemaking?

​Placemaking is more than just urban design, it is a collaborative process that strengthens the connection between people and the places they share. In the religious context, church placemaking is the opening of the physical assets of a church—the sanctuary, the classrooms, or the land—to the wider community. ​Instead of a building used only a few hours on Sunday, a "placemade" church can grow into a third space for people to visit throughout the week to exchange ideas, build social capital, and simply gather. Imagine weekdays coworking in the nave, weeknights tending to a community garden in the churchyard, or Saturdays attending a local art show in the vestibule.

​What is Adaptive Reuse?

​Adaptive reuse is the process of repurposing an existing building for a use other than which it was originally designed. For churches, this is a sustainable alternative to demolition that, also, allows the history of the building to remain. This history includes high-quality craftsmanship, such as stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings, and masonry, which would be prohibitively expensive to replicate today. By honoring the architectural integrity of churches while expanding their purpose to meet 21st-century needs, churches can ensure that their “sacred stones" continue to serve the common good.

Environmental Sustainability of Placemaking

The greenest building is the one that is already built. Demolishing a church and constructing a new facility creates a massive carbon footprint through waste, construction site management, and the energy expended to produce or refine new materials. With a little reimagining, congregations can capitalize on the embodied carbon already present in the original stone and timber and become a part of a sustainable future. God established humankind as guardians over all creation and what God repeatedly declared, “was good.” Gen. 1 (NIV). “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,” Psalm 24 reminds us. Ps. 24:1 (NIV)

As trustees over all of God’s creations, we are called to act responsibly and sustainably in our choices. A church converted into a childcare center or an industrial kitchen updated to become a food incubator not only fulfills our spiritual commitment to preserve the land, but it also provides an essential service to the community. Furthermore, when a past structure becomes a bustling community hub it becomes a catalyst for future, widespread neighborhood renewal.

Churches engaged in placemaking and adaptive reuse are openly declaring that their historical narrative as a spiritual dwelling can endure societal change. They are saying that our "sacred stones" were hewn and placed to serve all who gather, in the context they need. And by doing so, these churches often watch the same 168 hours blossom from primarily Sunday services to diverse weekday schedules.