Sacred Places Fall 2013 | Page 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Update on Partners; New Dollars/New Partners Success Story; Arts in Sacred Places Success Story 15 20 22 FEATURE STORY: Artistic Heritage and Historic Preservation at Newport Congregational Church Professional Alliance Spotlight: LimeWorks.us Professional Alliance Directory ABOUT PARTNERS Partners for Sacred Places is the only national, nonsectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to the sound stewardship and active community use of America’s older religious properties. Partners’ Programs and Services Include: • Training. New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place is an intensive program that gives congregations with older buildings the skills and resources to broaden their base of support. • Regional Offices. Partners offers training, workshops, and technical assistance through its Pennsylvania, Texas, and Chicago Offices. • Workshops and Conferences. Partners’ staff speaks at national and regional conferences on a variety of topics. Additionally, Partners offers consulting services on fundraising and adaptive re-use options for congregations and community organizations. • Information Clearinghouse. This web-based resource provides information related to the care and use of older sacred places. • Advocacy Initiatives. Partners works with civic leaders, funders, and policymakers, urging them to adopt policies and practices that provide new resources to older religious properties. • The Economic Halo Effect. Partners documents and articulates how congregations positively contribute to the economic health and vitality of their communities. • Making Homes for the Arts in Sacred Places. Partners pairs historic sacred places and arts organizations in ways that benefit both groups. COVER PHOTO: East view of the sanctuary at Newport Congregtional Church, Newport, RI. Courtesy of LaFarge Restoration Fund: Aaron Usher, photographer. FROM THE PRESIDENT W hen I first saw the cover photograph for this issue of Sacred Places magazine, I was astounded! Only a few blocks away from the famous summer “cottages” in Newport, on Rhode Island’s coast, is a church with an interior no less magnificent. Covered with the brilliant hues and exotic patterns invented by John LaFarge – Tiffany’s primary competitor in the opalescent glass department, by the way – the sanctuary of Newport Congregational Church is one of the great treasures of the city, and indeed of the nation. It seems very fitting that – in the midst of a holiday season infused with joyous music, festive food, twinkling decorations, and heightened spirituality – we focus for a moment on the magnificent beauty, artistry, and transcendency of religious architecture. Here at Partners we talk a great deal about how we can help congregations increase their vitality by funding their buildings in innovative ways, sharing their space with new partners, and engaging with the community in new ways. We are sharing our emerging findings on the enormous economic value of sacred places and how they contribute to the health and vitality of neighborhoods. We are matching sacred places with arts and food or nutrition programs and we are helping congregations develop new funding sources. All of this is essential and at the heart of Partners’ reason for being. But we can never forget that sacred places are also enormously important because they enrich our cultural life and anchor our streetscapes like no other building. They embody the best craftsmanship and design of their era, the likes of which we will never see again. Someday, the world will come to see our great churches, temples, synagogues, and meetinghouses, just as they do in Europe and Asia. Until that time comes, we are inspired by the story of congregations like Newport Congregational, which wanted to ensure the good stewardship of its building for decades to come. This season – and every season – is enriched when extraordinary sacred places are preserved and open for the public to enjoy. We should enter and marvel at what they have given us. BOB JAEGER THUMBNAIL PHOTO: Members of Theatre Y sit in front of the entrance to their new theatre space at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Chicago, Il. Photo credit: E. Aaron Ross for Chicago Reader. Sacred Places • Fall 2013 • 2