Congregations open up their buildings to serve children, the hungry, the homeless and others in need. Sacred places stabilize neighborhoods, strengthen commercial districts and significantly add to the economic health of our communities. All of this is endangered, however, when congregations can no longer afford to maintain these aging buildings. Partners has developed a family of highly-acclaimed resources to help congregations connect better to their communities, raise capital funds in new ways and preserve their historic building for future generations. We are the nation's only non-sectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated the sound stewardship and active community use of America's older religious properties.
Tell the Compelling Story of Your Sacred Place

Be honest. If someone asked you to make a case for the value and potential of your congregation, could you quickly and confidently reply? Would the strength of your conviction draw them into your mission?

If not, we can help.

The most popular service Partners provides is our flagship training called New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place. Its manifold purpose is to strengthen congregational leadership, develop community partnerships, increase organizational effectiveness, and help sacred places deploy their buildings.

All of this begins with a module called “Making the Case for Your Sacred Place.” It’s a simple reality: unless we can tell the story of our sacred places with passion and vision, we will not be effective in attracting new partners.


During the training, participants develop a compelling “case story” through activities centered on three questions.

Who Are We? How does our congregation’s history relate to themes in American, architectural, and American religious history? How have we influenced or reflected our community? How has our building served as a symbol of local heritage? How has our congregation used its facilities to serve and interact with our neighbors? Many participants recall – or unearth – amazing aspects of their story. This can mean poring over existing histories, archival photos or material, and even recording oral testimonies from longstanding members. It’s a powerful exercise, celebrating the faithfulness of those who have gone before us and the legacy of their vision.

What Do We Have? Though participants explore many layers of this question through asset mapping in module two, the initial focus is on the congregation’s building(s). It sets the groundwork for “out of the box” thinking on how existing structures offer opportunities for new and creative ministry.

What Do We Do? No matter how limited it may be at first, most congregations open their doors to community use. This part of the training underscores the value of this work. Partners has been a national pioneer in helping communities understand the true worth of sacred places in their midst, shown in our recent landmark study, The Economic Halo Effect of Sacred Places. Participants in this module use an online tool to help them with their value estimations.

When all the answers are tabulated, the research done, the words carefully chosen, compelling stories emerge. Suzy Yowell, Director of Partners’ Texas Office, has witnessed this process many times.

“We see congregations use their case story, or pieces of it, in a variety of ways,” she says. “On their websites, in programs, at newcomers’ classes, through capital campaign materials, social media, grant proposals, even displayed in an archive room or hall. The time and effort it takes is an investment worth making! The information has an incredible impact on how others view a sacred place. The wider community sees the value of the sacred place’s service to its neighbors, how its space is shared , the architectural uniqueness of its building, and its role in the community’s history.

“If you want someone to care about you, give them something to care about!”

If you or someone you know belongs to a sacred place that could benefit from a New Dollars/New Partners training, give us a call!