WE WANT YOU 
IN THE ROOM.

Who Will Be in the Room?

We are curating this group with deep intention.
Participants include leaders and innovators from:

We’re gathering an extraordinary group of leaders from across sectors for a 3-day design sprint to develop funding solutions for community development on church-owned land and property.
Together, we’ll move beyond the talk—we’ll design real, viable funding and financing solutions  that unlock these sacred spaces for community good.
What to Expect
This is a design sprint: immersive, participatory, and generative. You’ll step into a stunning setting in Texas, surrounded by leaders who don’t just dream of a better future — they build it.
Together we’ll share meals, wrestle with bold ideas, map real solutions, and leave with relationships that will outlast the event itself.
You’ll work alongside thinkers and doers from across the ecosystem to shape practical, catalytic funding tools that will make development on church land easier, more aligned, and more impactful.
The experience will include:
Curated
...small group sessions with real work to do
Time + Space
...for connection, imagination, and creativity
Cross-sector
...collaboration across faith, finance, real estate, philanthropy, government, and development
Beautiful
...spaces, meaningful conversation, and shared meals
The Moment
The future of church property is at a crossroads. Over the next decade, 100,000 churches in the U.S. are projected to close. This wave of closures will touch every city, town, and neighborhood in the country. What happens to these buildings and properties matters deeply. Left unplanned, they risk becoming empty lots or symbols of decline. Without new funding solutions, many churches will be forced to sell, removing vital spaces that serve as neighborhood anchors. But with imagination and the right support, they could become something else entirely.
These properties sit at the heart of our communities. And that means they can be at the heart of what comes next: affordable housing, shared green space, education hubs, entrepreneurial incubators, arts spaces, centers for healing and care.
This is one of the greatest untapped opportunities for good in our generation. And the time to act is now.
We’re not coming together to talk about the problem.
We’re coming together to design solutions.
The Reality We’re Facing
Without new funding solutions, many churches will be forced to sell, removing vital spaces that serve the heart of our communities.
The Details
Location
Hotel Magdalena
1101 Music Lane, Austin, TX 78704
Eating
Meals included, with one evening open for self-organized dinners in the city.
Dates
12-15 October 2025
Day 01
Sunday 12th:
Opening session at 6:00 PM
Day 02
Monday 13th:
Full day group workshop
Day 03
Tuesday 14th:
Full day group workshop
Day 04
Wednesday 15th:
Closing session ends at 12:00 PM
Travel & Accomodation
Participants cover their own travel; we’ll take care of the rest (including lodging).
Cost
This gathering is generously supported by sponsors and grants. To ensure shared investment and value, we’ll ask each participant to contribute $350 towards the effort (for sponsors this contribution is not required).

Confirm your spot now using the form below.
Registration for Fieldworks is now closed. For more information, or if you have been asked to submit attendee information, please contact us at info@rootedgood.org.
We Hope You'll Join Us
You are being invited because your voice matters—and because we believe that new solutions will only emerge when the right people are in the room to come together to design them.
This isn’t just another event.
‍
It’s a turning point.
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Warmly, The RootedGood Team:
Shannon Hopkins, Mark Sampson, Mark Elsdon, Angela Johnson, Alison Butler
In partnership with UCC Church Building & Loan Fund and its affiliate Amistad Development Corporation.