Blue Zones Perhaps you’ve heard of “Blue Zone” places – places around the world where people tend to live very long, healthy lives – many of them passing 100 years. Scientists have been studying these places for a couple of decades, and they have been featured on Netflix and the TED Radio Hour, among many…
Recently I attended a convening of amazing people who all care about religious buildings – what they mean for the people who worship in them, what they mean for the people and organizations that share them, and what they mean in the physical communities they often anchor. Partners for Sacred Places, headquartered in Philadelphia, was…
Ever think about the good your congregation does for the community – even when you aren’t trying? Yes, we know that congregations are critical parts of every community’s safety net. As the Boston Globe reported, with thousands of refugees needing assistance, it is often faith communities that organize the food, shelter, clothing, and other assistance…
Nobody really knows how many there are or how much all that real estate is worth, but the buildings owned by religious congregations are a formidable physical presence in virtually every American community. Elsewhere in the world, they are no less present – from grand cathedrals and temples to humble shrines and improvised shelters. People…
There are amazing resources available to people who want to understand — and support —congregational life. Here are a few that are worth checking out. See how these sources intersect with our Frames for Study and how they help you imagine what tools from our Toolkit you might use. Surveying the Landscape If you are…