In fast-growing Conroe, Texas, Pastor Josh Gosney and his wife built their Wake Church in a closed Kroger supermarket while renting space out for two connected businesses: a coffee shop and Oh Toodles, a children’s play place. The new church building opened last year.

Gosney said the business trifecta helps cover the $6.5 million purchase and renovation costs while attracting new members.

“What if the building was created for the community to be a part of it during the week?” the 35-year-old pastor said. “That was the conviction from not only a discipleship standpoint, but from a monetary and stewardship standpoint.”

The development represents a surprising pickup: Construction of new religious buildings is on the rise, even as many churches in the U.S. close their doors each year. Church-building broadly waned for two decades starting in the early 2000s, reflecting a decline in Americans’ religious participation, changing donation habits and a shift away from the construction of huge megachurches...READ MORE