Partners for Sacred Places 2020 Annual Report | Page 6

Consulting Services

Page 6

2020 was a challenging year for congregations , which had to consider what it meant to be a community in a world of social distancing . With in-person religious worship cancelled for most of the year due to COVID-19 , many congregations had to find new ways to live out their missions , manage their buildings , and connect to each other and their greater communities .

Partners helped our client congregations work through this difficult time , offering practical advice on topics like :
• Managing empty buildings
• Communicating with the congregation and the community
• Conducting a capital campaign during COVID-19
• Planning to return
Although many congregations paused their capital fundraising briefly in 2020 , most were able to adapt to their new reality and connect virtually while finding creative new ways to use their buildings and grounds in keeping with their mission .
Partners also launched a new strategic visioning service , which helps congregations define a vision for their building ( s ) that :
• Aligns with their values
• Strengthens their mission priorities
• Increases their capacity to maintain / restore / preserve buildings

New Dollars / New Partners equipped our leadership to look more faithfully and consistently beyond the church walls for mutual mission and support in the heart of our city . The training has helped to create a culture of abundance over scarcity , and possibility over fear .
— The Rev . Kathleen Reed , University Lutheran Church , Cambridge , MA

11 Capital Campaigns

5 Feasibility Studies

12 Halo Studies