Revitalising Rural Areas: Churches as Cultural Hubs for Youth Engagement and Spatial Transformation

Young adults in rural areas face infrastructural deficits in mobility, culture, and social spaces, leading to the rise of self-organised initiatives that compensate for these gaps through voluntary engagement. Churches, as publicly accessible spaces, are increasingly repurposed as cultural venues, yet their role in youth-led cultural engagement remains underexplored. This article examines the Thuringian youth initiative 'We are saving the church in the village' to analyse how young adults use church spaces for cultural and community projects. Using qualitative data, including interviews and network analysis, the study identifies key enabling conditions, opportunity structures, and challenges in this process. It highlights young people's roles as initiators, creators, networkers, and bridge-builders within church-based cultural activities. A typology of cultural engagement reveals varying degrees of church affiliation, while findings underscore the importance of diverse social networks for the success and sustainability of these initiatives.