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 4 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.
Yeast City Housing's Thusanang project in Tshwane — one of South Africa's longest-running church-land social housing partnerships.
Concrete proof that ground-leased church land can deliver inner-city affordable housing while keeping the title deed in the church's name.
A guided 25-question reflection for church leaders, drawn from Caroline Powell's research.
Designed to be used three times — privately by a leader, then with the council, then with the wider congregation. Each pass reveals something different.
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.
