church buildings
Churches are closing. What should they do with their assets?
Invested Faith offers one possibility: give them to social entrepreneurs doing transformative work.
The poetic space of the liturgy
What if we suspend our disbelief, collapse our ironic distance, and allow ourselves to go in?
What’s special about a church building?
How many buildings do we pass by in our daily lives where we could simply walk in, sit down, and participate?
Preservation of church and planet
“The least green thing,” says Bob Jaeger of Partners for Sacred Places, “is to tear down and replace the building.”
Learning to love our church’s (expensive) steeple
At first I resented the costly repairs. Then I took a closer look.
Church buildings aren’t just buildings
The church is made of people. But they need a home.
They sold First UMC and put up a tent in the parking lot
"It feels vulnerable to be the weird lady outside preaching sermons."
5 do's and 5 don'ts for using your church building well
A physical space can be at the vital center of ministry—if you don't make it an idol.
Let us now praise church custodians
If I were to put up a plaque at church, I’d want it to honor our crew of sextons.
What will make us better humans?
As I think about all of the complex questions we have ahead of us concerning downsizing, restructuring, property, and buildings, I’ve begun to have one guiding question.
New $14 million fund supports historic congregations
The National Fund for Sacred Places aims to help churches raise funds, restore their buildings, and find new community partnerships.