November 2026

Across the Virginia Synod, congregations are discovering new ways to share their buildings, build community partnerships, and put their property to work in service of their neighbors.

Church buildings hold many stories. They are places of worship, fellowship, learning, and service. But what happens when a congregation begins to imagine new possibilities for the spaces it has been given?

Across the Virginia Synod, congregations are finding creative ways to share their buildings and property, making room for new partnerships and ministries that meet real needs in their communities. From providing food for neighbors experiencing hunger to supporting individuals rebuilding their lives, these congregations are discovering that sharing space can be another way of sharing God's grace.

When St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Vinton concluded its ministry as a worshiping community, its property became an opportunity to imagine what ministry might look like in a new chapter.

Through collaboration among Lutheran pastors and congregations in the Southern Conference, that vision took shape as Grace.Period, a ministry focused on sharing grace by feeding neighbors experiencing hunger.

Pastor Chuck Miller, recently retired from Wheatland, Buchanan, helped explore possibilities for the property and bring the vision to life. Drawing on his experience in feeding ministries, he helped connect the space with a tangible community need.

Launched in September 2026, Grace.Period distributes free food to anyone who could use something to eat at the former St. Timothy property on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.

The ministry grew from conversations about what congregations could accomplish together. With seed funding from the St. Philip, Roanoke Endowment and a shared desire to center their work in grace, congregations began dreaming about a collaborative ministry that could serve their neighbors.

Through longstanding partnerships with enCircle, St. Paul's, Hampton, Grace, Chesapeake, and College, Salem are opening their doors and creating new opportunities to support children, families and individuals in their communities.

At St. Paul's, Hampton, enCircle is using meeting space to connect with families and children, with plans to expand mental health services and offer foster parent training. Grace, Chesapeake is welcoming enCircle into its former preschool space, creating new opportunities for that space to continue serving the community. And at College, Salem, enCircle is moving into shared office space in a building that once housed the Lutheran Children's Home, making this partnership feel like a homecoming.

Watch video above from enCircle to hear more about these partnerships and see how Virginia Synod congregations are putting their spaces to work for the good of their communities!

Pastor Kayla Keilholtz of Ebenezer, Marion learned about CareForward through a Department of Social Services meeting. CareForward connects individuals with resources through their social workers, helping meet needs that range from medical equipment and household appliances to furnishings that make a new home feel welcoming.

When CareForward shared its need for affordable, climate-controlled storage, Ebenezer recognized an opportunity to help. The congregation offered an unused youth room in its building to store donated items until they are needed.

CareForward's work also extends beyond material needs. The organization has begun coordinating phone check-ins for older adults experiencing loneliness, and Pastor Kayla has participated in those calls and helped with errands.

The partnership is one of several ways Ebenezer is putting its building to use. The congregation also makes an empty classroom available to a classical musician for violin practice.

At Messiah, Mechanicsville, sharing space has become an important part of building relationships with neighboring communities.

For more than a decade, Messiah has shared its sanctuary with All Souls Episcopal Church, a mission congregation that does not have sufficient indoor space for full-congregation worship and fellowship. The congregations coordinate their schedules so both can gather for worship and other activities.

Their partnership has grown beyond sharing a building. They have held joint midweek Lenten services and soup suppers, as well as joint Sunday worship throughout July. The congregations have also worked together to update classrooms used by one or both communities.

Pastor Ryan Radke describes All Souls as more than a building partner: they are neighbors, friends, and thoughtful partners in ministry.

Messiah also welcomes other community groups into its building. During the week, the space hosts a local gardening club, Hanover Adult Center, and a chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous, alongside the congregation's own Bible study and quilting groups.

Messiah's church council sees an empty building during the week as an opportunity to serve the wider community.

These congregations and ministry partners have different stories, partnerships, and community needs. Yet each demonstrates how reimagining property can open doors to new expressions of ministry.

Sharing space does not always require a major renovation or a new program. Sometimes it begins with an unused room, a conversation with a community partner, or a willingness to ask what a building could make possible.

As congregations consider the future of their property, these stories offer an invitation to look at familiar spaces with fresh eyes. What gifts are already present? What needs exist in the surrounding community? And what new partnerships might emerge when congregations make room for others?

Sometimes, a building's next chapter begins by opening its doors.



What could your congregation's space make possible?

The ELCA's Church Property Resource Hub offers resources to help congregations explore how their buildings and property can support ministry, strengthen community connections, and respond to changing needs.

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