For rectors, wardens and parish councils, buildings and property can feel like both a blessing and a burden. When the main game is sharing the gospel, who wants to waste time on maintenance? And while ministers are trained in things like discipleship and evangelism, we can’t expect them to be experts on property too.
Instead of blessing and burden, at SAP we want to help parishes reframe their thinking around responsibility and opportunity. And when it comes to expertise, we’ve got decades of the stuff!
A gospel responsibility
Scott Lincoln, SAP’s Senior Manager of Parish Property, has been helping parishes manage their buildings and property for a quarter of a century. While he’s got a lifetime of helpful tips to share with parish representatives (see below!), he says it’s important to never lose sight of the big picture. “The gathering of God’s people is so central to his plans,” Scott says. “We need somewhere to meet.
“And while buildings don’t last forever, there is something about what happens in them that is eternal.”
It’s a conviction that underpins SAP’s work. The goal is not preservation of buildings for their own sake. It’s stewardship for mission.
Good stewardship requires attention
While SAP is involved in major urban renewal and greenfield church planting projects, most parish interactions are much more day-to-day matters, and are just as important.
So here are some of those golden tips we mentioned from Scott on the most common issues parishes face.
1. Maintenance and repairs
The single biggest recurring challenge? Deferred maintenance.
Roofs that haven’t been touched in decades. Rectories that need structural attention. Air-conditioning units beyond their lifecycle.
Scott describes the cycle parishes frequently fall into, “We want to get out of that emergency cycle… The number of parishes that have come to us and then they have to spend half a million dollars to repair the church roof and all the damage that’s occurred over many decades… It’s a lot better if you can just chip away at it prior to major works being required.”
The new Synod requirement for a 3–5 year rolling maintenance plan is designed to help parishes move from crisis management to proactive stewardship.
Another important factor to remember, Scott advises, is that deferral of capital expenditure will also reduce the effective life of assets leading to greater cost over the longer term.
At the end of the day, small, consistent attention prevents large, destabilising shocks. Or as Scott likes to say: “A stitch in time saves nine.”
2. Making spaces fit for purpose
Many parishes are not necessarily facing structural collapse, but functional limitations. Buildings that once served well may now restrict ministry growth, hospitality, or flexibility.
Common projects include additions to increase seating capacity, creation of welcoming and open spaces, accessibility ramps and improved entry and exit flow, renovations to kids and youth ministry spaces, increasing breakout room capacity, installing accessible toilet facilities, replacing pews with flexible seating, reorientation of a meeting space, creating multi-purpose spaces adjustable to changing ministry needs over time, and connecting existing buildings with covered ‘breakout’ or gathering areas.
Scott notes that incremental improvements are often far more effective than waiting for a ‘big redevelopment’ that may never eventuate. “The temptation… is to put off improving amenities because we might redevelop in five or ten years. The reality is the big project often doesn’t go ahead, or if it does, it’s a long way away.”
Parishes such as Vine Church at Surry Hills and St Luke’s Clovelly have created light-filled connecting structures between church and hall, spaces that function as informal gathering hubs. These areas become the ‘lungs’ of the building, improving people flow, fellowship, and visibility to the surrounding community.
Alongside functionality, accessibility has become a growing priority following the 2021 release of Everyone Welcome – Accessible Church For All by the Diocese’s Social Issues Committee. Many parishes are actively rethinking how welcoming their buildings are through mobility access upgrades, sensory-considerate quiet rooms, improved signage, and thoughtful layout changes.
Small adjustments can make a profound difference for families managing disability or sensory overload. As Scott observed, seeing the building from the perspective of someone with mobility or accessibility needs can reshape priorities.
3. Navigating approvals and compliance
SAP also practically helps navigate compliance and regulatory processes including:
- Diocesan approvals
- Government planning requirements
- Building contracts
- Heritage issues
- Insurance matters
- Navigating the administration of the Diocese
The warning is clear from Scott, “If you leave it too late to speak to SAP, you risk stumbling into some seriously muddy waters and incurring significant fines or very large, and very avoidable expenses.”
Which leads to perhaps his most repeated advice, “Speak to us early and often.”
SAP is not there to ‘rubber stamp’ completed projects. The greatest value is provided at day one, in shaping scope, budget, feasibility and approvals before significant time and resources are committed.
Property is a facilitator of ministry
When asked what differentiates parishes that manage property well, Scott pointed to two factors:
- Someone ‘owns’ the buildings and property space — Not necessarily a warden, but a parishioner with passion, background or interest in property who drives relevant processes and is the parish conduit with SAP.
- They bring in expertise early — Talking to SAP Regional Property Managers to get help even before you know what you need.
Perhaps the most important reminder for rectors and parish councils is this: Property is not separate from ministry.
Scott emphasises that while SAP holds the property on trust, parishes are the stewards of what God has provided. Property can be expensive, but it is also a massive blessing.
“When aligned with a clear Ministry and Evangelism Plan, property can ‘turbo-charge’ ministry rather than constrain it,” Scott says.
“A practical governance habit is to make ‘Property’ and ‘Funding Opportunities’ a standing item on every Parish Council agenda. To avoid over complicating, start small and gradually build and track progress to inform the parish budget over time.
“Regular review prevents drift. It also ensures opportunities don’t slip through the cracks. Assigning one council member to monitor SAP communications can help ensure funding programs are not missed.”
Where to start
Every parish has a designated Regional Property Manager within SAP. They are all active members at their parishes. You can view them all and their contact details here.
Your SAP Regional Property Manager is your first port of call for:
- Maintenance queries including assistance on obtaining quotations for required works
- Early-stage project conversations
- Fundraising such as grants, tax-deductible giving, loans, capital campaigns and income generating opportunities
- Connecting you with other parishes addressing similar issues for mutual encouragement
- Recommendations on appointing and dealing with property professionals
- Strategic property thinking
- Everything else!
The SAP Manager, Insurance Services is available to assist parishes with all insurance matters and can also be contacted here.
Partnership is not an add-on, it’s part of how the Diocese serves you
Beyond parish-led projects, SAP also:
- Oversees a major insurance program that covers not only each parish, but the Diocese as a whole.
- Purchases strategic sites in high population growth areas
- Delivers major urban renewal projects in partnership with mission-aligned developers
- Develops Diocese-wide buildings and property strategies to guide church development over the next 30 years to best support ministry.
From restoring a long-neglected rectory to building new ministry facilities, the common thread is the same: putting property on mission.
If all ministers, wardens and parish councillors were in one room, the message would be simple.
You are not alone. Property is not just management. It is part of stewardship for ongoing mission.
As Scott summarises it, “Our parishes rely on the work of faithful volunteers. SAP is not here to take over your church project, we’re here to partner with you on the journey.”
Remember…
Communicate early. Communicate often.
Steward what you’ve inherited.
Plan wisely.
And let your buildings serve the gathering of God’s people for generations to come.