Tabernacle Baptist Church: Building for Hope

Exploring the faithful, sustainable use of our sacred space.

What is Building for Hope?

Building for Hope is a two-year cohort journey that equips churches to reimagine the faithful use of their buildings and land. Through this initiative, we are engaging with other congregations and mentors across the country to explore social enterprise as a ministry—generating new forms of income while remaining rooted in our mission and values. The process is guided by Building for Hope and RootedGood, and we are deeply grateful for their leadership and generosity.

What is Social Enterprise?

A social enterprise is a mission-led initiative that uses business strategies to achieve positive social outcomes. It is not about maximizing profit—it’s about aligning resources with purpose. At Tabernacle, social enterprise means reimagining how our building and land can meet real community needs in sustainable ways. It invites us to faithfully steward what we’ve been given for the flourishing of others and the long-term vitality of our ministry.

Our journey began in early 2025. We are listening, discerning, and dreaming together. We are learning from our history, from our neighbors, and from congregations like Arlington Presbyterian Church who have courageously transformed their buildings to serve their communities in new ways.

Why are we participating?

Tabernacle has a long history of choosing faithfulness over convenience. In 1972, our church voted to remain in the city rather than move to the suburbs. For decades, we’ve opened our doors to community ministries, arts organizations, refugee partners, and more. We believe God is still calling us to share our space for the good of the neighborhood. Many rooms in our building are underused. We want to discern how these spaces can serve again—not just to meet church needs, but to meet community needs.

We believe this moment is an invitation to deeper alignment between our mission, our money, and our ministry. We are not just asking, “How can we survive?” We are asking, “How can we thrive together?”

What have we learned so far?

We have a deep culture of generosity, care, and creativity.
We are committed to being a church where all people belong.
We carry stories of courageous innovation from our past.
Our community ministries are central to our identity.
Our buildings carry untapped potential.
Listening is the beginning of faithful transformation.

Want to follow along?

We’ll be updating this page with new blog posts and stories as the journey continues. We invite you to read our reflections, learn with us, and share your own ideas along the way.

Resources

If you have questions or ideas you’d like to share, contact us at pastor@tbcrichmond.org.