We live in a cultural milieu where maturing congregations frequently consider closing their doors while a surge of young, under-resourced church plants are without a set of doors to call their own. The former group often under-utilizes their facilities while the latter struggles to find affordable space. By partnering together, these two groups are discovering that they can meet one another’s needs.

According to a recent Barna study of multisite and planting churches, 18 percent of the pastors surveyed reported sharing a facility and resources with another church. That number is likely to keep growing as congregations of various traditions, ages, and cultures decide to share space with one another.

These relationships aren’t simple, however. They often come with frustrations that could be avoided by renting from a secular landlord. Why would a growing church choose to rent space from another congregation?

Stephen Redden of New Denver Church has many church planter friends who ...