Once a newly planted church gets running for few months, the question of a permanent place to meet inevitably arises. Sometimes the new church will intentionally delay investing in real estate for a very long time, even up to ten years, if the church cannot afford to construct a building as large as the current rented facilities. But the goal for most churches, sooner or later, is to have their own place.

However, emergent churches are rethinking the matter of real estate. It is easier to remain missional when there is no place to conduct church programs. Without a central location there is no temptation to rely on inviting people to come to the building. Missional churches look for ways to connect with non-Christians on their own turf.

Veritas, an emerging church just outside Atlanta, meets for worship in the basement of a Baptist church in a high class neighborhood. That’s okay for now, but the folks in Veritas eventually want to be located in a neighborhood that is a better fit with the people they are seeking to reach. They have their eyes on a working class neighborhood closer to the city.

And what are they planning to build first? A playground for the community. They’ll spend their Saturdays this summer providing a gift for the children, and in the process meet lots of people in the neighborhood.

Looks like Veritas is following its missional instinct quite well.