Church Land: Let Go & Grow

Does awareness of our history of land ownership in the U.S. shift the way churches think about their land?

Listening to the needs in their community for housing and child care led Heart of the Rockies Christian Church to make a big decision: Rather than building a bigger church on the 11 acres the church sat on, it decided to give the land away and develop a new nonprofit with community partners.

In today’s episode, Amanda talks with Pastor Melissa St. Clair, who shares the story of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, which, after years of work, is giving away most of its 11 acres to support a new community-centered nonprofit that will provide accessible housing, child care and supportive services. 

https://religionnews.com/complexified

GUEST:

The Rev. Melissa St. Clair, senior pastor at Heart of the Rockies Christian Church in Fort Collins, Colorado

Senior pastor since January 2013, St. Clair serves as moderator-elect for the Central Rocky Mountain Region and chairs the board of stewards for the Center for Faith and Giving.

Fort Collins church to transform part of their land for affordable housing

Collaborative housing plan at Heart of the Rockies church set for neighborhood meeting

Abundant Ground: A Congregational Land Initiative: Does your church have an underused parking lot or land? Could an affordable housing community revitalize your congregation?