Do we buy and renovate, rent and redecorate, or build and design? Any of the alternatives might be a good move, but in order to make a decision with integrity, consider three things:
Priority: The order of priority for budget and energy is leadership development, then community development, and then property development. If you aren’t confident about the first two, better not tie up budget and time in property ownership at all. Rent.
Impact: Property is best perceived as a launching pad to send people out, not a magnet to draw people in. You have to decide which tactic will result in the highest impact of your mission on the community
Portability: You need to judge the speed and direction of change in your primary mission field. Assume whatever property you have will be abandoned as you follow Christ into mission. The only questions are when and how quickly will you need to dispose of it.
The same issues help you decide when to discard a property … even a heritage property. Does it flow from leadership and community development? Does it maximize mission impact? Can it be easily changed and adapted? If the answer is no to any of these, the property is holding you back.
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