Dallas, Texas
The Mix Coworking & Creative Space
A church-based coworking and creative community that transformed underutilized church space into a vibrant environment for entrepreneurs, artists, freelancers, and neighborhood connection.
Consulting & Coaching for Church Leaders
Your Building
Has a Calling.
Thousands of church buildings sit quiet most of the week — while communities around them hunger for places to work, gather, connect, and belong. What if your building could serve both?
Explore
We Don't Operate Coworking Spaces
Coworking in Churches helps churches, denominations, and mission-driven organizations discern, design, and launch community-aligned models that fit their neighborhood and values.
Our work focuses on strategy, feasibility, leadership alignment, coaching, and implementation support. We help leaders make wise decisions before investing significant time, money, or energy.
"Spaces don't just hold people. They form them."
80%
of the week, the average church building sits empty or underused.
The Challenge
Buildings Built to Serve — Now Sitting Still
Across North America, thousands of church buildings were constructed to be centers of community life. They were designed for gathering, for service, for presence in the neighborhood. Many still stand — beautiful, historic, full of potential.
But declining attendance, rising maintenance costs, and shifting demographics have left many of these buildings quiet for most of the week. The lights are off. The doors are locked. And the community outside keeps searching for places to belong.
This is not a crisis. It's an invitation to reimagine what wise, generous stewardship of shared assets looks like in the 21st century.
"What if your building's best days are still ahead?"
The Opportunity
A Building That Serves the Whole Neighborhood
Imagine your building alive on a Tuesday morning — freelancers and remote workers finding focus, nonprofit staff collaborating in a meeting room, a small business owner taking a call in a quiet corner. People who might never attend a Sunday service, but who come to know your community through the simple act of sharing space.
Coworking, shared workspace, and community hub models are not just revenue strategies. They are community strategies — ways for churches to become neighborhood infrastructure, to practice hospitality at scale, and to embody the kind of welcome that fosters belonging and human flourishing.
Our Process
From Possibility to Pilot
Many church leaders know something needs to change, but aren't sure where to begin. Our process helps congregations move from curiosity to clarity through a structured, community-centered approach.
01
Discern
Assess mission alignment, community need, leadership readiness, and building assets. Identify opportunities, constraints, and priorities.
02
Design
Develop a model that fits the congregation, neighborhood, and goals. Explore coworking, shared workspace, nonprofit partnerships, community hubs, and other possibilities.
03
Pilot
Test the concept through a small, low-risk experiment before making major commitments. Gather feedback, measure impact, and determine next steps.
How We Help
Consulting & Coaching for Every Stage of the Journey
01
Discernment & Feasibility
Before committing to a model, you need clarity. We help church leaders ask the right questions — about mission alignment, community need, financial sustainability, and organizational readiness — so you can move forward with confidence, not just enthusiasm.
Learn more02
Strategic Planning & Design
Vision without a plan is just a dream. We work alongside your team to develop a model that fits your space, your community, and your mission — from operational structure and pricing to programming and partnerships.
Learn more03
Coaching & Implementation
The hardest part isn't the idea — it's the execution. We walk alongside leaders through the transition: navigating board conversations, managing change, building community, and sustaining momentum when the work gets complex.
Learn moreReal Projects. Real Places.
We've Been Doing This Work
Churches across North America are finding new ways to activate underused buildings, engage their neighborhoods, support entrepreneurs, and create spaces of belonging. The projects below represent real-world experience in church-based coworking, creative space development, wellness initiatives, community hubs, and social enterprise.
Plano, Texas
Plano Community Coworking
A congregation-created coworking initiative supporting remote workers, entrepreneurs, and community members seeking productivity, collaboration, and belonging.
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Central Westside & Westside Wellness
An innovative model combining coworking, wellness, recovery communities, community partnerships, and congregational mission to serve both church members and the surrounding neighborhood.
Dallas, Texas
The Grove Coworking
A pioneering church-connected coworking community demonstrating how shared workspace can foster entrepreneurship, collaboration, creativity, and meaningful relationships.
Dallas, Texas
The Mix Kitchen
A shared-use commercial kitchen designed to support food entrepreneurs, small businesses, and community economic development within a church-based ecosystem.
Texas, New Mexico, Hawaii, North Carolina, Georgia & Tennessee
Church Innovation Projects Across North America
Consulting, coaching, research, speaking, and field-learning initiatives exploring how churches can activate buildings for coworking, community engagement, entrepreneurship, and social impact.
These examples represent only a portion of a growing movement. Every church, community, and neighborhood is different. Our work helps leaders discern which opportunities fit their context, assets, and values.
About
Ken Crawford
Founder, Coworking in Churches
A Synchronous Life Initiative
Ken Crawford is a pastor, consultant, coach, and organizational strategist with more than three decades of experience helping organizations navigate change, align mission with resources, and create environments where people and communities can flourish.
His work in church-based coworking, community hubs, wellness initiatives, social enterprise, and shared workspace innovation began long before these ideas became common conversations in church leadership circles. Over the years, he has helped launch, support, advise, or lead projects including The Mix Coworking, The Mix Creative Space, The Mix Kitchen, Central Westside, Westside Wellness, SyncLife Coworking, and Plano Community Coworking. He was also a founding member and leadership contributor to The Grove Coworking community.
Through consulting, coaching, speaking, and field research, Ken has worked alongside church leaders, denominational leaders, entrepreneurs, and coworking operators throughout North America. His work has included projects, partnerships, and learning networks spanning Texas, New Mexico, Hawaii, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, as well as presentations at coworking conferences in both the United States and Canada.
Coworking in Churches exists to help congregations and denominations reimagine underused buildings as assets for neighborhood connection, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and community flourishing.
30+ Years
Organizational Strategy
& Leadership Development
"The question isn't whether your building can serve your community. It's whether you're ready to let it."
From the Field
Field Notes
May 28, 2026
What Makes a Church Building Ready for Coworking?
Not every building is ready — and that's okay. Here are the five factors we assess before recommending any model to a congregation.
Read moreApril 14, 2026
The Theology of Shared Space
Before the business case, there's a deeper question: what does it mean, theologically, to open your doors to the neighborhood? A reflection on hospitality, stewardship, and mission.
Read moreMarch 3, 2026
Five Questions Every Church Should Ask Before Opening Their Doors
The enthusiasm is real — but so are the risks. These five questions will help your leadership team move from excitement to discernment.
Read moreFree Resource
Church Space Readiness Checklist
Thinking about coworking, community hubs, shared workspace, wellness initiatives, nonprofit partnerships, or other innovative uses of church property?
Start with the questions that matter most. Our Church Space Readiness Checklist helps church leaders evaluate:
- Mission Alignment
- Leadership Readiness
- Community Need
- Building Suitability
- Financial Sustainability
- Accessibility & Inclusion
- Partnership Opportunities
- Pilot Readiness
A practical resource for pastors, boards, trustees, denominational leaders, and innovation teams exploring the future of church property.
Download the Free Checklist
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Take the First Step
Ready to Explore What's Possible?
A discovery call is just a conversation — no pressure, no pitch. We'll listen to your situation, share what we've seen work, and help you discern whether this is the right path for your community.