Episode 257: Small Church, Big Building & The Dilemma of Church Spaces

When a missionary or pastor plants a church, they’re not just gathering people—they’re making decisions that quietly shape the work for years to come. And one of the decisions that carries great weight is that of “space.” Where do we meet? When do we start on Sundays? How do we stay nimble and mission-focused without being homeless—or overbuilt? Today’s conversation sits right in that tension: the blessings a building can provide, and the burdens it can introduce, especially when the work is still small and the people are still growing.

My guest today on the Postscript is Blade Sbisa, a church planting pastor in St. Louis who’s just getting the work on the ground with a small team. Blade recently stepped into a rare opportunity to purchase a church building at a phenomenal price—complete with a parsonage—before the plant is really ready to use it. So what do you do when the building is bigger than the congregation? How does it effect the culture and set expectations? Blade is thinking through it all in real time, and his process will help a lot of planters—and sending churches—think more clearly about buildings, stewardship, and the work of making disciples.

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