If you are here you will probably already know I am a firm believer in the benefits venue hire can bring to a business, church or space. I have seen it with my own eyes and lived the journey! Here are my top five reasons why venue hire makes sense.
1. Venue hire is a strategic financial approach
I know this one may seem obvious, but venue hire represents more than just a financial solution—it embodies a strategic approach to stewarding the fantastic resource in your hands. During St Mary’s London’s transformative journey, annual revenue soared from £70k to over £500k. What could you do with even an extra £25k a year, let alone half a million?
What could you do with even an extra £25k a year, let alone half a million?
2. Venue Hire’s income stream enables you to expand your mission
Whatever your organisation’s goals, venue hire is a brilliant and complementary way to serve them. It enables you to raise the funds to resource the projects and people you want to support whilst still being in the driving seat. Think of places like the National History Museum: do they just close their doors to the public to make space for private hires? No! Their hires work around the museum’s primary function, to be open to guests. It is the same for you when you set up your venue hire business and we can show you how to do this in the best way that will keep you happy and your clients coming back for more.
3. Hires can build relationships and increase the likelihood of people coming back to internal events.
Hosting external hire events within your church or premises shows that you are open and extend a welcoming embrace to individuals who may have never crossed your threshold before. It makes our space feel more familiar to the event attendees and makes them more likely to come back. Each event opens up the opportunity for new connections and if you are a church, even spiritual encounters.
Venue hire makes our space feel more familiar to the event attendees and makes them more likely to come back
One of my favourite stories is of Anne. When she found herself facing a difficult situation in life, even though she had never been to church before, she remembered she had once attended a classical concert at a church. So she went onto the website, found the Sunday service times, and was able to come and receive prayer and support in a time of need.
4. If you are a church, event staff can be impactful evangelists
The character and demeanour of your team members during events can serve as powerful reflections of God’s love. It would be difficult to emphasise how consistently the character and kindness of St Mary’s venue hire events team were commented on. Every interaction has the potential to sow seeds of faith.
A story that I think particularly highlights this comes from one of my old team members. Over consecutive years, he engaged in profound conversations with a curious attendee, eventually leading to him gifting her with a Bible. We never know who God may send our way or how our actions and conversations may positively impact their lives.
5. I believe it is theologically congruous to host events and open up our spaces as churches
There are diverse opinions on this, you can read more on this here. However, I do believe it is important that each church aligns their actions with their beliefs and values.
In summary, I believe the transition brought about by the new covenant, in which believers themselves rather than the building became the sacred dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, is a key shift that empowers us to use our buildings wisely for hire. In Matthew 21 we see Jesus’ concern over practices that inhibit access to his presence (filling the temple with stalls during the festival, where many would have come to worship, ripping off worshipers with highly inflated costs). With the right tools and values, venue hire itself can be a mission. Venue hire allows access to the church for those who may never otherwise come inside or interact with Christians, all while funding the essential mission of the church. If we haven’t got the funds to extend the kingdom and keep doing good, or for some of us, the funds to even maintain our building and keep it open are we prioritising longterm access to his presence? Church buildings are so often empty and we are skilled in helping you build a plan to allow events and hires to run alongside your scheduled worship.
With the right tools and values, venue hire itself can be a mission. Venue hire allows access to the church for those who may never otherwise come inside or interact with Christians, all while funding the essential mission of the church.
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