Co.Labor (Colombia)

New Investment Announcement

Legacy Kingdom Fund is excited to announce the addition of Co.Labor, an innovative and integrated church incubator and workspace in Barranquilla, Colombia. One building will house both dedicated work spaces for weekday use as well as classroom and worship space for a church plant. This strategic concept will help remove some of the barriers that can exist between people’s “work lives” and their “spiritual lives,” as well as counter the myth that some places are secular (like business offices), while others are sacred (i.e., church buildings).

Co.Labor’s creators have identified several overlapping social, economic, and spiritual factors converging at this time and in this Colombian city (consistent across other South American cities as well):

• high value placed on community and collaborative work
• global macroeconomic trends toward more flexible, less capital-intensive  work environments fueling growth in the space-as-a-service industry
• increasing percentage of the world’s population living in cities
• new churches more effectively reaching new generations, new residents, and new people groups in a city

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Listen to Joel on The Business as Mission Podcast with our friend Mike Baer.

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Co Work, Church, and Community
In addition to providing high-tech access, coworking space, dedicated desks, and conference rooms that are expected, Co.Labor’s space provides amenities like mini-kitchens, executive showers, and a barista, all of which elevate the user’s experience.

Pastors looking to embed their ministry in the local culture benefit by interacting with professionals using the workspace, having a visible presence for building relationships. The church staff, leaders, and volunteers share the Gospel both on Sunday mornings and throughout the week via classes available to the public and in the context of the relationships they’ve built..

The coworking space merges people and space who may have different goals, but can benefit from each other’s presence.  For workers using the space, they receive interaction with others both inside and outside their organization or enterprise as well as access to community and spiritual development programs and leaders.  A church leader serving in an existing Co.Labor space is freed from many of the burdens of facility management that accompany a dedicated church building to make disciples, lead, counsel, and build relationships with professionals of the city. 

The flexibility and affordability coworking spaces offer is increasingly desirable for small businesses, remote workers, and entrepreneurs in Latin America. The synergy of sharing spaces and ideas at affordable, monthly subscription levels will strengthen ties within the community.
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​The Benefit
Co.Labor demonstrates multiple bottom line thinking for their business: The multi use space has both economic and environmental benefit; the potential for daily interaction between church leaders and urban professionals will result in spiritual fruit; the availability of marriage courses, financial education, discipleship and English classes the church will offer will meet social needs of the community.

An investment in Co.Labor has the potential to yield so much more than just financial returns.

https://www.colabor.com.co/