Free Webinar!
Our cities and towns are littered with deteriorating church buildings. It's easy to feel like time and energy is being lost that could be invested in loving and serving others.
What if we could reimagine our buildings as spaces that exist to serve our communities?
In this free webinar, you will:
- Develop a clearer understanding of the problems facing churches because of their property
- Explore new ways of using space for the sake of the neighborhood
- Hear stories of church communities that have leveraged their buildings to better serve their neighborhoods
Audrey Warren
Kenneth Carter
Jeff Neven
This webinar is FREE and perfect for pastors, church leaders, or anyone who is more passionate about people than property. Register to watch for free either live, recorded or even call in.
Monday, September 14
11am (EST)
Learn more about
"People Over Property"
by Audrey Warren & Kenneth H. Carter
What if our church properties didn’t have to be a source of pain but one of purpose and profit?
Our church buildings, synagogues, and other religious places – which once stood as beacons of hope and reverence for its community – have become a burden for the organizations who seek to keep them standing.
In efforts to patch leaky roofs and paint over years of wear, leaders are putting more and more money each year into property instead of people. The practices we have fallen into to keep a building running are not only demoralizing to the pastoral profession and the mission of the church, but they also run the risk of violating property tax laws and incurring more debt.
Can we as faith-based organizations begin to think collaboratively about how we might further our missions by creatively and intentionally rethinking how we utilize the space we inhabit?
In Fresh Expressions of People Over Property the authors reflect on strategies, scriptures, and stories that help leaders faithfully re-imagine their community spaces so that they reflect that God and God’s people value people over property.
Practical strategies to help faith leaders re-imagine how their community spaces might be used.
Reflections and stories about how God values people over property.
About the Authors
Audrey Warren
Rev. Dr. Audrey B. Warren, a native Floridian, did not venture too far from her hometown of Naples to plant some roots. Audrey currently resides in Miami, FL where she and her husband Jose Luis are active members of their very diverse downtown community.
Audrey earned her Bachelor of Arts from Florida Southern College where she majored in Religion, and then ventured out of Florida for only a few years to earn her Masters of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. Audrey then continued her studies at Wesley Theological Seminary where she earned her Doctorate of Ministry focusing on Children and Spirituality. She is an ordained Elder in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and currently serves as Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Miami.
Kenneth H. Carter, Jr.
Kenneth H. Carter is president of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church and serves the Florida Conference area. He is the author of ten other books, including Pray for Me, A Way of Life in the World, The Gifted Pastor, and Near the Cross.
Listen as Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel speaks with Bishop Ken Carter and Rev. Audrey Warren about their book Fresh Expressions. They discuss the promise of new, nontraditional expressions of church that meet people where they are.
