Stewardship and Community: Our Partnership with Methodist Faith Organizations
- Eden Wenberg
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Helping ministries use parking to strengthen financial health and serve their mission.
At Park Thrive, we believe that church property is more than just real estate; it is a resource that should actively serve the church’s mission. For many ministries, parking lots are underutilized assets that, when managed with care, can provide vital funding for community initiatives, building maintenance, and staff support.
We are proud to serve as an official, vetted partner of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) of the United Methodist Church. This relationship allows us to support congregations across the country in modernizing their operations, ensuring that their physical resources are being stewarded as effectively as possible.
Improving Stewardship for Existing Operations
For ministries that already utilize paid parking, a review of the current setup can often reveal opportunities to better support the church's financial health. In many cases, organizations are operating under older agreements that may not offer the most favorable terms for the ministry.
For instance, we partnered with a United Methodist ministry in Texas that had been retaining only 40% of their parking revenue under a previous arrangement. By transitioning to a model that prioritized their interests and working with Park Thrive, they were able to retain the vast majority of that revenue, keeping those resources within the church to support their mission.
We see similar success with student faith organizations. One Wesley Foundation we work with was able to generate twice as much revenue for their student programs simply by adjusting their approach to peak demand times on campus.
Bringing Order to Community Parking
Not every ministry is focused on revenue; often, the primary goal is simply establishing order. Parking lots in busy areas can easily become crowded with unauthorized vehicles, leaving little room for the congregation or staff.
Effective management helps resolve these challenges by ensuring the lot remains available for its intended purpose. As one partner noted regarding a church lot near a university: "We had a problem with University students filling up our parking lot... with a paid lot that is no longer a problem, keeping only those willing to pay a small fee using our lot".
This approach helps preserve the property for ministry use while offering a structured option for the broader community.
A Partnership Grounded in Support
We understand that navigating parking management is not the primary focus of a ministry leader. Our role is to offer support and guidance—from the initial conversation to the daily details—ensuring the process is transparent and manageable.
As one non-profit director and current partner, shared regarding the support he received:
“It’s not like I’m just sending a message off to somebody who’s like, ‘Never heard of you, don’t care.’... If you find yourself at a loss for who to communicate with, know you’ll get good responses from everybody.”
From the churches to campus ministries, we are honored to support faith organizations in turning their physical assets into opportunities for growth.
