Our project will explore the links between churches and cooperative businesses (co-ops) through review of the work done historically and presently and by studying the connection between churches and several co-ops that have sprung up in recent years. Co-ops are efforts of the community to create work that is fulfilling and rewarding. By sharing decision-making, responsibility, and profits, co-ops are tapping into our common humanity. The co-op model provides a framework for churches to help foster economic activity that provides not only financial resources but also meaningful work, starting with the most exploited. Charitable efforts that seek to support communities can now be combined with constructive efforts that promote meaningful work, enriching communities in need, churches, and individuals. This project allows us to explore both personal and systemic challenges of our time and link them to the faith and work of the church. How might co-ops provide opportunities for churches to employ their assets and their social capital in the community more constructively, and how might churches benefit from opportunities to deepen their faith, grow spiritually, and become more vibrant in this context?