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Approaching America’ s 250th: How Philadelphia Congregations Draw Visitors through Sharing Their Heritage
FEATURE ARTICLE
Pulling Together: Collaboration Supports New Life for Sacred Places in Transition
Rethinking Your Relationship with Your Religious Building?
Meet the Experts: The Transitions Ecosystem
A Wilkesboro Church with Empty Space, a Child Care Center in Need, and a Rallied Community Create a“ Miracle”— and a Model
Roof Raising: A Conversation with The Rev. Wil Posey on Harshaw Chapel Renovations
Professional Alliance Directory
THE MAGAZINE OF PARTNERS FOR SACRED PLACES
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 builds the capability of congregational leadership for building care, shared use, and capital fundraising through training programs, fundraising assistance, and organizational and facility assessments. In the process, Partners becomes a trusted resource and guide as congregations examine and weigh opportunities.
Partners engages with congregations to focus on critical areas such as:
• Asset-mapping and community engagement— assisting congregations to develop new relationships with neighbors and potential community partners.
• Strategic partnerships and space sharing— brokering agreements between sacred places and arts, food justice, health, education, and social service programs.
• Planning for capital campaigns to support repairs and renovations that preserve significant historic features and make spaces usable for new community programs.
• Collaborative initiatives among unrelated congregations in a neighborhood to encourage coordinated outreach, space usage, joint marketing and interpretive events, and coordinated work with public agencies for lighting, signage, and streetscape improvements.
Partners staff recently led a design charrette at the vibrant La Mesa First United Methodist Church in La Mesa, CA. La Mesa had previously participated in Partners’ New Dollars / New Partners program and an asset mapping. As the congregation celebrates its 130th anniversary, it is planning a strategic visioning and capital campaign fundraising in the near future. Kevin Block.
Cover Photograph:
Congregation Rodeph Shalom engages in space sharing in its historic North Philadelphia building, including concerts, a child care center, facilities rentals, and civic events. Daniel Kontz
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