August 31, 2012

Our Buildings: Precious Gems or Liabilities?

Your local church is a major community asset!

The more common headline is “local church buried in its deficit and had to close.” With church buildings from many denominations being closed, many congregations see their beloved buildings as liabilities rather than assets.

Episcopal congregations are an integral part of their neighborhoods and cities. Churches serve as important outreach partners or the preferred location for civic events or major funerals. Often congregations have not named the ways they partner with their wider community. As mainline church buildings around the country close, the void that closed churches leave behind becomes increasingly apparent within the neighborhood. Often neighbors and city officials are the last to learn of a struggling congregation and are stunned by its sudden closure.

Recognizing the value of our buildings as community assets requires an adjustment in the way congregations think about their identity, growth, and mission in relationship to the broader community. When the local congregation sees it buildings as a community asset, congregations can dream with the city as their dreaming partner. Too often congregations are isolated in their struggles with their loss of members. More often the local church that experiences loss is not alone and other community organizations have also experienced losses too.

Partners for Sacred Spaces helps Episcopal congregations position their church as a community asset and realize this new way of a seeing their congregation as a neighborhood and city leader. They help Episcopal churches meet their public officials and develop relationships that contribute to the local church becoming a community asset and vital community member. Sometimes through this process, a local Episcopal congregation can create a separate nonprofit organization to facilitate funding to maintain the church building, rather than solely rely on pledges and endowments. This step may qualify congregations for funding to preserve their historic buildings.

However, more is at stake than money to maintain Episcopal Church buildings. Episcopal Churches in local neighborhoods and towns are co-planning ways that the congregation can contribute to the vibrant life of our towns and cities. Cities and congregations are working together to restore life to the entire community beyond our Episcopal Church walls.

For more resources on valuing your church as an asset, visit Partners for Sacred Spaces and this blog post from Congregational Seasons.