Over the past few weeks, we have been asking you about postponement — “What have you been, as a faith community, postponing?” Several responses have been around building maintenance and building use. What happens when we postpone maintaining? We are usually faced with a critical, and sometimes emergency, situation. Sometimes, postponing happens because the maintenance or critical issue is so big we cannot imagine how to address it. Sometimes, postponing happens because we are not using the space and we may not realize the extent of the situation.
I invite you, if you are a faith community with underutilized space or space that is used infrequently, to not postpone being a steward of that space. Ask your community, “Do we have space than can be used more than how we are using it?” If the answer is yes, I encourage you to explore how might we be better stewards of our space? You do not need to have all of the answers in order to know the next step. You can explore possibilities and imagine how your space might meet needs in your community. And, you can explore assistance in the process. Recently, I reconnected with a former intern and learned about work she is doing. I want to share with you about New Chapter Ventures.
New Chapter Ventures is an adaptive reuse and placemaking incubator that partners with churches and communities to transform underutilized spaces, such as a dormant church wing, vacant land, or an industrial kitchen, into community resources for social and economic development. They are headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, and serve churches across the state, from the mountains to the beach. New Chapter Ventures work with churches at all stages of their project journey, from curiosity to community impact. By providing the training, capital, and mentorship, they are able propel a project to the next phase in activation. They, also, work with churches at different levels to secure funding.
Flagship Program: 9-Month Placemaking Lab
The New Chapter Ventures Placemaking Lab is a nine-month cohort-learning model that partners with churches and communities to transform underutilized church assets (e.g., vacant land, dormant church wing, outdated industrial kitchen) into community resources that create social and economic impact (e.g., preschool, coffee shop, teacher housing, shared kitchen). The next cohort launches the weekend of January 23-25, 2026, with an in-person Opening Gathering and Immersion Experience. It is followed by seven monthly, 90-minute Zoom sessions, led by guest speakers covering essential placemaking topics, such as wholistic community solutions, strategic fundraising, and creating a pitch deck. The Lab concludes the weekend of September 11-12, 2026, with an in-person Closing Celebration and Pitch Proposal showcase from each cohort church. The next Lab begins in September 2026.