The Church as Community Hub | Loren Richmond Jr.

In this special episode, Martha Tatarnic interviews co-host Loren Richmond Jr. about his new book, The Church as Community Hub: Sharing Spaces to Help Neighborhoods Thrive. Loren shares what inspired the book—including a visit to a small Canadian church serving migrant farm workers—and how years of conversations on Future Christian helped shape his thinking. At the heart of the book is a simple question: What if church buildings were understood not simply as places Christians gather, but as resources entrusted to congregations for the flourishing of their neighborhoods? Together they explore: What inspired The Church as Community Hub How Future Christian conversations shaped the book Why mission—not institutional survival—must come first Starting small and experimenting rather than looking for a magic bullet Why reimagining church property can be an act of hope What it means to equip congregations not necessarily to save the church, but to be the church Loren Richmond Jr. is a pastor, chaplain, and nonprofit leader. He is the director of development and programming for Green Room Leaders, as well as a cofounder and cohost of the Future Christian Podcast. His Substack is The Church Nerd. Richmond has worked in five Christian traditions, and he holds an MDiv from Phillips Seminary and an MBA in Nonprofit Management from Hope International University. He lives in Thornton, Colorado. Mentioned Resources: 📖 His Book: The Church as Community Hub 🌐 His Website: lorenrichmondjr.com 📱 Socials: @lorenrichmondjr 🎧 Episodes Referenced: Chad Brooks 🎧 Episodes Referenced: Michael Graham 🎧 Episodes Referenced: John Cleghorn 🎧 Episodes Referenced: Grace Pomroy 🎧 Episodes Referenced: Bob Jaeger 🎧 Episodes Referenced: Mike Cosper    Connect with Future Christian: 📱 Future Christian Instagram: futurechristianpod 📱 Martha's Instagram: martha_tatarnic 📱 Loren's Instagram: lorenrichmondjr 🟧 Future Christian Substack: https://futurechristian.substack.com/   Supporting Sponsors: Martha's Book! Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History - Available now! Loren's New Book: The Church as Community Hub: Sharing Spaces to Help Neighborhoods Thrive - Available for pre-order! Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age.   Future Christian Team: Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host Dennis Sanders – Producer   SEO / Keywords Loren Richmond Jr., The Church as Community Hub, church as community hub, church buildings, church property, church building reuse, reimagining church buildings, underused church buildings, church property ministry, church and community development, community hub model, neighborhood ministry, community engagement, church leadership, congregational leadership, church renewal, church decline, declining churches, future of the church, church innovation, missional church, church mission, adaptive ministry, church partnerships, sacred space, noncommercial community space, stewardship of church property, church buildings and mission, neighborhood flourishing, mainline Christianity, Martha Tatarnic, Future Christian Podcast