Buildings and Grounds

In this third of a four-part series, Demi Prentiss looks at how Trinity Cathedral in Portland, OR has reimagined its assets in the past four years since COVID-19.
The Rev. Greg Syler discusses assets and liabilities in our latest blog and asks the question, “are our buildings and property assets?” See what he has to say.
In our latest blog, Bill Keslar of Building Solutions discusses facility audits and how they can help to accurately prepare operating budgets, guide capital campaigns, and direct long-range planning.
In our latest blog, the Rev. Sandy Webb explores the idea that congregational leaders need to give something new whenever they take away something old.
In our latest blog, the Rev. Sandy Webb discusses church security. He says, “Our churches need to be intentional about what we do to keep people safe and equally intentional about what we do to help people feel safe.”
In our latest blog, the Rev. Lisa G. Fischbeck discusses the idea of churches stepping up to address social issues previously handled by government or non-profit organizations, specifically housing.
Richelle Thompson advises all vestries to put buying an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on the agenda.
The Rev. Catherine Thompson talks about her church’s partnership with Khesed Wellness and their mental health services for the uninsured and underinsured.
Should your church have an endowment? What is an endowment and why does it matter? Read on for answers from ECF's Endowment Management Team.
In our latest blog, Linda Buskirk details an exciting opportunity for congregations in Indiana sponsored by the Thriving Congregations Initiative of the Lilly Endowment.
In our latest blog, the Rev. Sandy Webb discusses replacing a worn but much-loved historical dossal curtain.
In this month's digest, we offer five resources on sharing your harvest with your community.
Linda Buskirk addresses a common issue in church architecture – that often it’s not built to be welcome to people of all abilities. In our latest blog, she recommends steps to remedy such situations.
How can we have a bold and serious conversation as The Episcopal Church about ways to mobilize our buildings? Greg Syler contributes our latest blog, sharing his thoughts on this question.
Lisa Fischbeck’s church acquired five acres of land that had once belonged to someone who took good care of it. On talking to people and doing research, they learned that restoring native plants restores the health and functi…
Jerry Campbell writes about St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and how it will be able to open a new parish center. St. Mark’s story is comprised of four pieces, with the capital campaign facilitated by ECF being the final piece of …
The Episcopal Church of the Advocate lost its best loved greeter and mouser this spring. Smoke the Advo-cat came initially to take care of a pernicious mouse problem but soon began to make himself an indispensable part of the…
Charis Hill grew up an abled child in the Episcopal Church, where she was an acolyte. As a young adult, she became disabled by ankylosing spondylitis and could no longer take the steps up to the chancel. As a millennial with …
After ten years of being a nomadic church, renting space from Sunday by Sunday, we finally had land. We wanted to do something to celebrate, to claim the land, to ask God’s blessing on it, on us. So we “beat the bounds.”
Communities often get tied up by their buildings, unwilling to see that new life can be had when we free ourselves from their constraints.