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Matt Morris > Co-Working as a Means of Discipleship
Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard the term “co-working.”
It’s a fairly new concept, but I’m sure many of you are, at least, familiar with the general idea. But I want to stretch your thoughts just a bit and help you wrap your head around why I think churches should be co-working spaces.
I guarantee that nine times out of ten when you pass a church during the week, you see the parking lot is mostly empty. Sure, there are a few cars there—the secretary, a few pastors, maybe some maintenance trucks cleaning the carpet or changing light bulbs. But for the most part, the parking lot is pretty bare during the week.
An empty parking lot means empty space in the church. Those rooms may or may not be actively heated or cooled, depending on the season. One thing is true: space is not being used. Why not offer to rent your space to self-employed people in your organization, small startups, nonprofits or remote locations for larger companies that may be in your area?
I may not have you on board. I get it. You may be saying, “But churches who are 501c3s can’t rent their space and make money or they will lose their nonprofit status with the IRS. Right?” Not quite. There’s something called UBIT, or Unrelated Business Income Tax. In short, it is a tax that addresses concerns that tax-exempt organizations (churches) have an unfair competitive advantage over commercial businesses.
Basically, churches are subject to taxation on business activity not substantially related to their tax-exempt purpose. Co-working would not be considered substantially related to their purpose as a tax-exempt organization. So, yes, you can rent out your unused space during the week, but you’ll have to pay taxes on the revenue you bring in.
Here are a few reasons why churches should consider co-working:
- It allows you to utilize space during the week that would otherwise go untouched.
- It allows you to generate revenue outside of the traditional tithes and offerings.
- The increased revenue will allow your church to invest in discipleship opportunities both in your community and in other areas across the globe. Think about the possibility of bringing in an extra $2,000 for “leasing” four offices each month. What could your church do with $24,000 to reach more people for Christ?
- It introduces your church and its staff to people in your community that may have never set foot in your church.
- It provides a great sense of “community” to the people in your building each day. Free coffee and Wi-Fi go a long way, even if the office is a cinder block wall with dirt-colored paint.
Many of you have probably heard about WeWork. They’re probably the most recognized co-working company in the United States, with limited presence abroad as well. They’re in 12 cities in the US and focus primarily on tech startups, individual entrepreneurs, freelancers and small businesses. Part of their business does cater to nonprofits, but they don’t solely focus on churches.
I want to tell you about a brand new co-working company that only serves churches. That company is called Open 29/7, and they plan to launch early this winter. Open 29/7 presents co-workers a network of churches worldwide for a minimal fee each month.
To learn more, sign up for updates on their website: http://www.open297.com
Keep your eyes out for a launch later this year. This is going to change co-working as we know it and allow churches to be even more powerful and make a more positive impact on the lives of people across the world.
Join the conversation About Matt Morris
Matt has spent over a decade serving churches, specifically in the areas of marketing and technology. Matt has authored church technology blogs for LifeWay, Pastors Today, i4j and Church Tech Today. He has also authored articles for and been featured in publications including ChurchMag, Church Executive, Preaching Magazine, Youthworker Journal, Ministry Tech, Facts & Trends, Baptist Press and various business journals.
Matt is married to Carmen, and they have two children: Hudson and Harper. He and his family attend First Baptist Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Follow him on Twitter.
