Where Do We Go to Be With People? Reimagining the Church as a Centre of Community
In this time of deep social fragmentation and isolation, with loneliness described as an epidemic and connection harder to find for many, the Church faces a pressing question: where do we go to be with people?
Not merely to host them or to serve them, but to truly be present—with and among—those in our neighbourhoods, especially those who may never walk through the doors of a Sunday morning service.
This longing to be more deeply embedded in the life of the community is not new. From the earliest days of the Church, there has been a tension between gathering for worship and scattering to witness, between sanctuaries that shelter and open spaces that invite.
Salon 1861, an inspiration to Espaces d'initiatives, is a church building that dates back to 1861. Formerly St. Joseph’s Church, today the building plays host to a variety of community events. (Le Salon 1861)
Perhaps the Spirit is nudging once again toward the latter, asking: how might the gifts of our buildings, our land, and our presence be reimagined for the flourishing of all?
Stories across North America show congregations daring to explore this question with courage and creativity.
At St. Matthew’s United Church in Toronto, the building hums with life not because pews are full on Sundays, but because its spaces are shared throughout the week with a nursery school, Eritrean immigrant services, Alcoholics Anonymous groups, and fencing lessons. Here, sustainability is not about membership alone but about partnership and relationship.
In Waukon, Iowa, Iron Ridge Church took a unique approach when denied zoning permission to convert a local movie theatre into a church. Instead of fighting, they adapted: continuing to run the theatre as a business while offering worship in the same space. Popcorn machines and pizza ovens coexist with prayer and proclamation—a creative blending of community need and gospel witness.
Iron Ridge Church: Movies, pizza, and the gospel
Grace Cathedral, in the hills of San Francisco has become a surprising gathering point for a diverse community. Yoga classes stretch out between gothic columns, concerts echo through stained glass, and art installations draw curious onlookers. The congregation remains rooted in worship, yet the building’s open-handed hospitality allows for an expansive welcome—reaching far beyond traditional religious engagement.
In Quebec City, the citizens’ collective Espaces d’initiatives is breathing new life into the closed doors of Saint-Charles de Limoilou, transforming the once-shuttered church into a space for social innovation, dialogue, and communal action. Gardens bloom on the parvis; swing dancing fills the summer evenings; conversations about justice and community shape the shared vision.
Even outside the walls of any particular building, experiments like Beer Church—gathering people in breweries and parks to share stories, ask honest questions, and reflect on faith—reimagine spiritual community as a table wide enough for all who hunger for belonging.
Explore These Initiatives More:
Churches serve communities. Now community hubs are saving churches - Broadview Article 2021
Sacred Spaces: How Your Church Building Can Bless Your Community 7 Days a Week - Lifeway Research 2017
In Counterculture San Francisco, Church Has Become the Place to Be - New York Times Article
Let’s Revive Empty Churches as Vibrant Community Hubs - CBC Article 2017
Beer Church and Beyond: Creating Spiritual Community in Breweries, Parks, and Public Spaces - Faith+Lead Podcast December 2024
These are not just clever strategies to keep buildings open. They reflect a deeper theological conviction: that the Church is not called to seek community for its own sake, but to pursue Christ—and that in this pursuit, authentic community emerges. As Aaron Menikoff writes, in the article Don’t look for community in the church. Be the community "True community is never found by looking for it. It is the fruit of pursuing Christ. He understands loneliness better than we do."
This is exactly what the early church was doing in Acts 2—a group of people devoted to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers, who held their possessions lightly and shared their lives deeply.
Questions for your church or leadership to consider together
Where are the spaces in your neighbourhood where people already gather?
What assumptions about sacred spaces might need to be re-examined?
How might your congregation embody hospitality that listens first and offers presence before programs?
Ideas to Experiment With
Open your building for community meals, gym nights, or creative arts gatherings, offering space without strings attached.
Partner with local agencies to host ESL classes, counselling services (check out this episode with Rev. Rebekah Mitchell), parenting workshops, or job fairs.
Take church outside the building—into parks, cafés, breweries—through story nights, walking groups, or shared service projects.
Invite local neighbours into a shared discernment process: What dreams do they hold for their community? How might the church’s presence serve these hopes?
The invitation in this moment is not simply to preserve what has been, but to participate more fully in what God is already doing. The Spirit moves beyond our stained glass and into the streets, the theatres, the cafés, and the gardens. The question is whether the Church will have the courage to follow.