When you hear the call to renovate your church, you’re likely preparing to embark on a rewarding season of ministry! However, we understand how the thought of redirecting funds from other ministry ventures or accumulating debt to make your new building possible may cause you to re-think your decision.
You may not realize that expanding your church is one of the best ways to help your church prosper—both spiritually and financially.
Look at these creative ways to renovate your current church building to include revenue-boosting spaces that pay for themselves, keeping your renovation on budget. These ideas also can give your church another steady income stream to help others, like giving to missionaries or restocking a local food pantry.
Creative Streams of Income for Your Church
1. Coffee Shop
Depending on the location of your church, you may be able to create a building on your property that serves as a community coffee shop.
Opening a church coffee shop offers plenty of benefits—both for your church and the community. You can create jobs for your neighbors, welcome people from different faith backgrounds into your church, and keep your property open all week long. Plus, the additional income stream will help pay off the initial investment in the building and equipment.
You can also use the coffee shop to welcome new visitors and bless others. Perhaps you can offer new members of your congregation a coupon to receive a discounted drink from the café.
2. Bookstore
If your church is large enough, you may consider opening an on-site bookstore. You can usually renovate your lobby to include a store that members of your congregation will pass by when they come and go each week.
Your bookstore can sell different types of Bibles and other reading tools, like concordances or commentaries. However, you can also sell Christian fiction, devotionals, books about the history of your denomination, or even books written by your pastor.
You can also use your bookstore as a place to sell church merchandise, like tee-shirts, coffee mugs, stickers, journals, and other branded products. Overall, this can be a great offset to your regular building costs like energy.
3. Rental Income
Your church can collect rental income in two ways—from business or residential space.
If you have gathering spaces, classrooms, or other rooms ideal for meetings, you can consider promoting your church as a business rental space. Not only is this a great way to earn income during the work week when your church would otherwise be sitting dormant, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to network with local business owners and neighborhood employees.
Though this may not be the case for all churches, you may have enough space to build a few homes, or even a small apartment complex, on your property. You can rent these residential units to community members, even at a discounted rate, to help those in your community, and you can use the rental income to pour back into your church.
Depending on your location, you could also purchase a shopping center nearby and lease those storefronts to local businesses. This allows your commercial tenants to reliably fund your church. And it can give you more options for your own ministry, like using a storefront for a youth hangout or after-school program.
4. Community Events
If your church is centrally located and well-known in the community, you can use your property as a rental space for community events.
Perhaps a private school is interested in renting your space for a graduation ceremony or school banquet. Maybe a family is interested in using your church for a memorial service, or a nonprofit is looking for a spacious property to host a fundraising event. You could even attract a band who wants to use your church as a concert venue!
When you promote your church as an event rental space, you’ll likely be surprised at the number of people, companies, and organizations who reach out to you!
5. Daycare
Opening a daycare center or a preschool on your church’s campus can create a lucrative source of income for your church while bolstering your existing children’s ministry.
Many parents are looking for a safe location to bring their young children while returning to the office after two years of working from home. Your church could provide a reliable daycare solution for members of your congregation and people in your greater community. Plus, you can use many of the resources and spaces you already have available for childcare on Sunday, but instead, charge an hourly or daily fee for utilizing them during the workweek.
You can also build a preschool on your church’s property as an additional income stream. Research shows that demand for private education is increasing, especially after the pandemic, and it’s possible your church could provide a solution for this growing need for families in your neighborhood and community.
Expand Your Ministry Vision with Churches by Daniels
If you’re ready to implement one (or more!) of these ideas to offset your church’s building expenses—our experts at Churches by Daniels can help. Learn more about how to select the perfect building location for your new addition, or contact us to discuss more creative ideas for your renovation!
