Last week the Kaitangata-Stirling-Lovells Flat Presbyterian Church listed two of its five buildings - its Stirling church and hall - for sale.
Parish pastor Alex McLaughlin said the church was focusing on reducing overhead costs and putting its main emphasis on people, not buildings and assets.
The Canterbury earthquakes meant insuring church buildings was far more expensive, and electricity costs also seemed to be increasing, he said.
The parish has churches in Kaitangata, Stirling, and Lovells Flat. The latter two have separate halls on site.
The brick Stirling church on Baker St is listed for tender, closing on November 8.
The church was built in the early 1970s, and the hall in 1961.
It was important to note that the church was not closing, but centralising, as it was too expensive to run five buildings, he said.
''The old 'village model' of having a church and a church hall in every township is no longer viable as people now travel easily for what they value.''
About 30 people attend the weekly Sunday services which alternate between the three churches. Once the Stirling property is sold, services will be held only at Kaitangata and Lovells Flat.
Mr McLaughlin said the church in Kaitangata was available for the community, and was also used by the ''Mainly Music'' programme.
The older church at Lovells Flat had undergone much maintenance work over the past few years, and was a popular venue for weddings due to its ''old world charm''.
''The number of buildings may be less but the church is committed to be in the business of caring for the people in its area,'' he said.
