Buildings

A dying church's gift inspires a young congregation to help people experiencing homelessness

When asked to use its building and property to shelter women and families, Salt House Church said yes.

By Julia Duin Journalist

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La Cocina VA sets a table for training and workforce development

A nonprofit’s partnership with two Virginia churches offers a model for collaboration between faith-based and community-based organizations.

By Leslie Quander Wooldridge Journalist

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Crowdsourcing data projects help faith congregations get involved in creating justice

Volunteering for research initiatives like the Mapping Prejudice project in Minneapolis educates church members on how to rectify present injustice.

By Todd Nelson Journalist

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How to plan for the post-pandemic future of church buildings

The number of congregations closing could rise sharply after the pandemic. The time to explore using church real estate wisely is now.

Chris Elisara Rick Reinhard

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Churches in the nation's capital seek to balance welcome and security

After a fire, protests and the tear-gassing of peaceful demonstrators, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., boarded up its stained-glass windows and reluctantly agreed to the installation of a chain-link fence. But the congregation is finding ways for their building to remain a place of welcome and refuge, as are others in the city.

By Edie Gross Journalist

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Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows: Congregations should see their buildings as assets, not albatrosses

Talking about church buildings is fun for the bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis -- not just because she is trained in architecture and historic preservation, but also because it leads to questions like, “What is this congregation for?”

A congregation helps homeless people during the pandemic by offering refuge and support

When shelter options began to close for people living on the streets in Pasadena, California, All Saints Church stepped in by developing a system to offer its property safely and sustainably and to create a model for other churches to do the same.

By Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn Journalist

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A North Carolina nonprofit helps churches convert property from liabilities into assets

Leaders of a community development corporation believe that even struggling congregations can survive and thrive if members take stock of their assets and put them to use as resources for their communities.

By Yonat Shimron Journalist

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Sharing a building leads to a shared mission for an AME church and a Latino congregation

Two pastors built a friendship across barriers of language and culture, uniting their congregations and together reaching out to their community.

By Leslie Quander Wooldridge Journalist

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A tiny congregation with a big building is resurrected as a center for peace

Concerned about violence in their city, members of a declining church in Oakland shifted focus, redefined its ministry and invited nonprofit service agencies to work together as the Oakland Peace Center.

By Patricia Corrigan Journalist

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A downtown church forges a new path when it decides to tear down two decaying buildings

The 146-year-old Baptist congregation hopes a smaller footprint will allow the church to redefine its mission and identity while saving its historic sanctuary.