Church buildings are often underused while communities around them have real needs. From hosting nonprofits and co-located churches to childcare, schools, recovery groups, and community programs, churches can use their facilities for meaningful ministry all week long.

Buildings are tools for ministry, not the mission itself. If fear, nostalgia, or control shape how space is used, your church may be serving the building—not Jesus. These 10 signs can help you spot the warning lights.

Churches do not need massive buildings to be faithful or effective. In today’s diverse communities, smaller congregations are leading the way by sharing space, partnering with other ministries, and using their buildings as tools—not trophies. Stewardship of space is a missional issue, and one culture cannot reach every culture. It is time to shift from asking “How do we fill this building?” to “How can this building serve the mission?”