Research and resources
Start here if you want language, research, stories, and tools to help your church think more clearly about land, buildings, justice, belonging, and faithful use.
Some resources are academic. Some are practical. Some are useful for church leaders preparing a conversation with a committee, council, parish, synod, or leadership team.
You do not need to read everything. Choose the path that meets the question you are carrying now.
Browse by what you need
The library
These resources are here to support the conversation, not overwhelm it. Start with the resource closest to your current question. You can return for more depth as the conversation grows.
Showing 7 of 18 resources
Caroline Powell's research presentation — the thesis distilled into a slide deck for talks and workshops.
A useful primer if you don't have time for the full thesis. Suitable for sharing with a church council.
Reflections from 2020 on how South African churches adapted their spaces during crisis — and what those adaptations revealed about what was already possible.
When churches had to respond quickly, they did. The capacity to change church space was already there. What changed was the question being asked of it.
A Warehouse Podcast conversation on what spatial justice looks like for the suburban church.
An accessible entry point if a council or congregation member has never encountered this work before.
A second Warehouse Podcast episode on church land — opening the imagination of what congregational property might become.
Pairs well with the suburban-churches episode. Together they form a useful introduction for a church council.
Caroline Powell presenting her research on spatial justice and the suburban church.
A short video introduction for those who prefer to watch rather than read.
A video presentation from Caroline and Ntando on church land and the discernment journey.
Useful for sharing with a church council ahead of a discernment session.
The Pietermaritzburg-based organisation working on church land, rural restitution and solidarity with the landless poor.
Decades of methodological work on solidarity, listening and church-land partnership. A primary reference for this field in South Africa.
If you are trying to choose the right resource for your church, start with the discernment tool or send us a short note about your context. We can help you find the most useful starting point.
