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www.sacredplaces.org SACRED PLACES SACRED PLACES THE MAGAZINE OF PARTNERS FOR SACRED PLACES • S UMMER 2008 The Power of Asset Mapping

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Page 1: SACREDSACRED PLACESPLACES - Partners for Sacred Places ... · Training. New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Placeis an intensive program that gives congregations with older buildings

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SACRED PLACESSACRED PLACESTHE MAGAZINE OF PARTNERS FOR SACRED PLACES • SU M M E R 2008

The Power of Asset Mapping

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SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 3

I think we have hit uponone more way to bring the New Dollars/New Partnersexperience to seminaries.

Let me explain…The success of Partners’

New Dollars training program inhelping congregations developnew financial support—bycommunicating the “publicvalue” of their buildings to thelarger community—has

prompted Partners to ask how we can give seminary studentsaccess to the program’s approach to sustaining sacred places.

One seminary model we’ve been testing is a semester-longcourse that equips students to serve as “coaches” forcongregations going through the training process, so thatcongregations stay focused and productive. Students learn howto articulate the community value of a sacred place, and howcongregational dynamics (such as leadership and clarity ofvision) affect a congregation’s ability to use that value to buildnew ministries and attract new financial support. This model hasgreat potential, and we will be testing it in two or three locationsacross the nation.

What, now, is the newest model? At the invitation of theLutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP),Partners offered an intensive, one-week course we called “ThePhysical Church.” We introduced students to the significance,function and character of sacred places in America, taughtstudents to see congregations and communities as bundles ofassets and strengths, then gave them the opportunity to studyone church in the field. They interviewed congregationalleaders, calculated the public value of one outreach program,assessed the physical condition of the building, and reviewed key documents.

At the end of the week, students reported on the public value of the church they studied, both to students and torepresentatives from that church. Clergy and lay leaders askedquestions, and a dialogue ensued that informed both studentsand church representatives about the significance of each sacredplace and its potential for community-wide support.

How significant was this experiment? One student said, “Iloved the asset-based approach and exercises—everyone comingout of seminary should be schooled in this.” Another said that “Iwould require this as the second part of our field edrequirements.”

Indeed, we believe that this intensive approach has greatpotential for field education courses, and for continuingeducation courses reaching clergy who have had someexperience pastoring a congregation. As one LTSP studentnoted, the course “gave us a lot of good knowledge, techniques,information, frameworks, contacts, and especially the confidenceto proceed ahead boldly.”

Just what we hoped for!

Sacred Places • Summer 2008

Contents4 Update on Partners

Seminary Class, Partners Receives Grants,Partners Presents Workshops, Thank YouArchitects, Get Involved with Partners, NewStaff, The Pennsylvania Office and the RegionalFund Update, Texas Regional Office Update

9 New Dollars/New Partners Success Story: Hutto Discovery United Methodist Church

11 Feature: Asset Based Community Development

19 Professional Alliance Spotlight

20 Information Clearinghouse

21 Professional Alliance Directory

About PartnersPartners for Sacred Places is the only national, non-

sectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to the soundstewardship and active community use of America’s olderreligious properties. Founded in 1989 by religious, historicpreservation and philanthropic leaders, Partners providesassistance to the people who care for sacred places andpromotes a greater understanding of how these placessustain communities.

PARTNERS’ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES INCLUDE:

� Training. New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place is an intensive program that givescongregations with older buildings the skills and resources to broaden their base of support.

� Regional Offices. Partners’ offers training, technicalassistance and capital improvement grants through itsPennsylvania and Texas Regional Offices.

� Workshops and Conferences. Partners’ staff speaks on avariety of topics at national and regional conferences.

� Publications. Some of Partners’ books include:• Your Sacred Place Is a Community Asset:

A Tool Kit to Attract New Resources and Partners• The Complete Guide to Capital Campaigns for

Historic Churches and Synagogues� Information Clearinghouse. This web-based resource

provides information related to the care and use of oldersacred places.(www.sacredplaces.org/information_clearinghouse.html)

� Advocacy Initiatives. Partners works with civic leaders,funders and policymakers, urging them to adoptpolicies and practices that provide new resources toolder religious properties.

from theExecutiveDirector

COVER PHOTO: INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE ADVOCATE,PHILADELPHIA. PHOTO BY MONICA DAVIS.

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Partners Completes FirstClass for Seminary Project

Partners successfully conducted its first NewDollars/New Partners Seminary Project class at LutheranTheological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) in latespring. The Rev. Dr. Katie Day, Charles A. SchierenProfessor, Church and Society, and Director, UrbanConcentration at LTSP (and Advisory BoardMember for Partners’ Seminary Project) invitedPartners to teach “The Physical Church” the firstweek of June.

Executive Director Bob Jaeger and the Partnersteam built an experiential and interactive curriculumbased upon the Seminary Project’s teachings and goals,giving students an opportunity to developrelationships with three local congregations. Studentsspent two eight-hour days in the classroom beforegathering in teams to meet Northwest Philadelphiacongregations and study their buildings. While in thefield, the class used Partners publications like YourSacred Place is a Community Asset: A Tool Kit to AttractNew Resources and Partners as well as Partners’ softwarefor calculating the public value of a religiousbuilding. Students also reviewed congregationaldocuments and conducted online research tosupport their presentations.

On the final day of the course, studentspresented the results of their findings tocongregational representatives. One student noted,“Knowing what tools exist, how to use them, whereto find information, and the asset-based concepts

and techniques are all tremendously valuable to mywork as a pastor.”

Evaluations, overwhelmingly positive, areproviding ideas for the further development ofthe Seminary Project. The Rev. Dr. Day expects toinvite Partners to teach a one-week course atLTSP again.

Partners Receives Citibank Grant

The CitiBank Foundation is making a grant of$25,000 to Partners to support a higher level offield assistance to congregations in the Philadel-phia area. This award advances the PhiladelphiaOffice’s work to help congregations partner withcommunity-strengthening agencies andorganizations within their neighborhoods.

New Grant for Chicago OfficeThe Retirement Research Foundation

awarded a grant of $150,000 and the FrancisBeidler Foundation gave $5,000 to support theestablishment of Partners’ Chicago office and itsprograms for community-serving congregations.These Chicago-based foundations are both newfunders and join The Driehaus Foundation insupporting the office.

4 SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008

Update on Partners

Partners for Sacred Places1700 Sansom Street 10th FloorPhiladelphia, PA [email protected]/567-3234

BOARD OF DIRECTORSThe Rev. Aidan R. Rooney, C.M.ChairThe Rev. Dr. Roy G. AlmquistThe Rev. Dennis A. AndersenLouis R. CohenMary Werner DeNadai, FAIAPaul W. EdmondsonThe Rev. Dr. Thomas FrankThe Rev. Pierce W. KlemmtKarl A. KomatsuThe Rev. R. Scott SheldonMonica TaylorGordon R. WoodrowFOUNDING CO-DIRECTORSDiane CohenA. Robert JaegerSTAFFA. Robert Jaeger,

Executive DirectorDiane Cohen,

Senior Director ofInstitutional Planning andDevelopment

Erin Coryell, Director,Philadelphia Regional Fund

Tuomi Joshua Forrest,Associate Director

Geoffrey Harden, Office Manager

Stephanie Jordan,State Survey Coordinatorand Program Assistant,Texas Regional Office

William J. D. Jordan, Director of Development

Marie Malloy, Director of Operations

Rana Gidumal McNamara, Director of Membership andAnnual Giving

Sarah F. Peveler, Senior Trainer

Elizabeth Terry, Director of Training

Suzanne Yowell, Administrative Coordinator,Texas Regional Office

PROGRAM CONSULTANTLibby Willis, Texas Regional

Office Programming,Research and DevelopmentContractor

INTERNSCaitlin KramerJenna V. FarahFrank McGoughSACRED PLACES PRODUCTIONJulia Prymak,

Designer (Pryme Design)

Staff and students at the New Dollars/New Partners training class at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

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Update on Partners

SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 5

Seminary Project Model: “The Physical Church

Partners andLutheran TheologicalSeminary atPhiladelphia requiredseminarians to preparefor “The PhysicalChurch” by readingSacred Places at Risk andThe Power of AssetMapping, among otherpublications. Inaddition, 30 percent ofstudent grades werebased upon fieldworkand 40 percent upon afinal presentation andpaper. A team ofPartners staff developedan intensive course toprovide the essence ofthe New Dollars/NewPartners for Your SacredPlace over one week.

The course structure included:Day 1• Introduction to Sacred Places, and What Makes Religious

Buildings “Sacred” • Assessing Physical Conditions; Making Repairs and

Renovations• Identification of Architectural Styles, Building Materials and

Function of Spaces

Day 2• Documenting the Community Value of Sacred Places• Identifying and Connecting Congregational and

Community Assets

Day 3 • Field Exercise: Assessing the Significance and “Public Value”

of a Sacred Place

Day 4• Writing/Telling the Story of Sacred Places to Engage the

Larger Community• Learning Innovative and Creative Ways to Broaden Support

for Sacred Places

Day 5• Student Team Presentations to Congregational

Representatives

The Rev. Mary Higgins, Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont Unitarian UniversalistDistrict Executive, smiles with Partners’ Associate Director Tuomi Forrest andmembers of the New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place team fromSanford Unitarian Universalist Church in Maine. The congregation graduatedfrom the year-long training May 9.

Get Involved with Partners!Over the last 5 years, Partners for Sacred Places has:� Trained 1,200 clergy and lay leaders� Worked with nearly 400 congregations nationwide� Partnered with 35 denominational offices, ecumenical

councils, historic preservation and planning organizations� Awarded over $1,845,980 grants to Sacred Places

How can I help?� Make a donation to Partners for Sacred Places. Your support

broadens and strengthens Partners’ programs.� Tell us about a historic sacred place in your community that

needs help.� Tell your local religious and historic preservation leaders

about the New Dollars/New Partners training program so theycan gain new resources and skills to broaden their base ofsupport and community partnership.

� Direct congregations to our Professional Alliance directoryand Information Clearinghouse so they may gain invaluablecontacts and information about restoring their properties.

� Purchase a congregational membership for a church,synagogue, meetinghouse or mosque so they can receiveSacred Places magazine and discounts on other publications.

Inspired to be a part of this mission? You can make adifference in communities through Partners! Visitwww.sacredplaces.org, and click “Donate Now” to visitPartners’ secure Network for Good donation page. Thank youfor your interest in our work and for your support of Partners forSacred Places.

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On the Road Again

Bob Jaeger presents “Houses of Worship: The Conservation of SacredPlaces” at the 28th annualStatewide PreservationConference of the MichiganHistoric PreservationNetwork in Dearborn, May 8.Following the seminar,Jaeger led a tour andcommunity informationsession about the NewDollars/New Partners forYour Sacred Place.

Update on Partners

THANK YOUMany thanks to the following architects who have donatedtheir time to New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place

Module I training in the past three months:

GREATER LANSDOWNE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONMarianna Thomas AIA

Marianna Thomas Architectswww.mtarchitects.net

CONNECTICUT CONFERENCE OF THE UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST

Jay BrightJay Bright Architect

[email protected]

PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL FUND FOR SACRED PLACESClive Copping RIBA

DPK&A Architects, LLPwww.dpka.com

TEXAS REGIONAL OFFICEW. Anthony Eeds, Principal

White Rock Studio, LLCwww.whiterockstudio.com

New Staff MemberPartners welcomes Stephanie Jordan to the Texas Regional

Office as a full-time State Survey Coordinator and ProgramAssistant. Ms. Jordan is conducting a comprehensive survey ofreligious buildings in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, inputtingphotographs and histories of local sacred places into Partners’database. She is also coordinating the work of the Texas SacredPlaces Project and overseeing the project’s website development.

Ms. Jordan earned her M.A. at the Savannah College of Artand Design, and her B.A. at Samford University ofBirmingham. She has participated in a historic resources surveyof Tybee Island, Ga. for the Tybee Island Historical Society’sdisaster preparedness plan, and repaired and restored a 19thcentury shutter from the historic Hay House’s cupola. She is amember of the American Society of Interior Designers.

Chicago Community Development SeminarTaps Partners to Present Workshop

Partners conducted a workshop about fundraising for sacredplaces at the Block Club University Summer Assembly June 7 inChicago. Block Club University, an initiative by Mayor RichardDaley, focuses on how faith-based organizations can collaboratewith block clubs to engage in community development, youthprograms, health initiatives, public safety, and community security.

Chicagoland’s residents learned about Partners’ Chicagooffice, and elements of the New Dollars/New Partners trainingprogram, such as planning a capital campaign and discoveringnew funding and community partners.

6 SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008

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SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 7

The Pennsylvania Office and the Philadelphia Regional Fund

GrantsThe Pennsylvania Office has offered an

important, new kind of funding to congregations—Collaborative Project Grants—which haveencouraged congregations to work with othercommunity institutions, building upon the NewDollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Places training.The grants are for non-capital projects to becompleted within one year, and do not requirematching funds. Seventeen congregationssubmitted a variety of creative proposals, andrecipients were notified in June.

The office is expecting a competitive round ofcapital grant applications for ambitiousrestoration projects this year. The PhiladelphiaRegional Fund for Sacred Places requires a two-to-one match from each applicant.

For the latest status on previous grant-fundedprojects, see the table below.

TrainingThe 2008 round of New Dollars/New Partners

training began May 21, hosted by Temple BethZion-Beth Israel in the Rittenhouse Squareneighborhood. The highly diverse array ofcongregations included Washington MemorialChapel in Valley Forge, Woodland PresbyterianChurch in University City and Point PleasantBaptist Church in Bucks County.

The Pennsylvania Office continued to providefree supplemental workshops in the spring. Inaddition to the a grant application workshop inMarch, Partners collaborated with the law firm ofStradley Ronon Stevens and Young, LLP to offer aworkshop on planned giving. The workshopprovided invaluable advice to congregationslearning how to broaden their circles of giving.

EventsThe Sacred Places Mural Arts Tour Series

kicked off in May with a Center City tour of St.John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church andSt. Luke and the Epiphany Episcopal Church.Tour members marveled over St. John’ssculptures, St. Luke’s opalescent mosaics andbrilliant stained glass windows, as well as the city’srenowned outdoor murals.

The West Philadelphia tour in June featuredthe sculpture, mosaics, and stained glass ofPhiladelphia Regional Fund grant recipients St.Mary’s Episcopal Church and St. Francis de SalesRoman Catholic Church.

This tour series, a collaboration betweenPartners and the City of Philadelphia’s Mural ArtsProgram, was launched by a sold-out pilot tour inJanuary. The office hopes to expand the sacredplaces/public arts tours statewide.

Philadelphia RegionalFund for Sacred PlacesAdvisory Committee

Charles B. Casper, Esq.Julia ChapmanJ. Randall CottonHelen CunninghamScott DoyleAdrian Scott FineDr. Ira HarkavyKevin HowleyMark HughesEmanuel Kelly, FAIAJames Kise, AIAThe Rev. Dr. Jeffrey LeathCatherine LynchRabbi Andrea MerowElizabeth K. MillerRoger MossAnne PizzoliAlice RichardsonThe Rev. Aidan Rooney, C.M.Michael SternMonica TaylorFrank VagnoneGerry WangEric WildenDavid Winkowski

2007 Partnership Grant RecipientsRECIPIENT NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT AMOUNT PROJECT STATUS Arch Street United Methodist Center City, Philadelphia $100,000 Repairing and stabilizing spire, Project UnderwayChurch upgrading electrical and this Summer

fire safety systemsChurch of the Advocate, North Philadelphia $100,000 Masonry repair Project UnderwayEpiscopal this SummerFirst Unitarian Church Center City, Philadelphia $75,000 Porch and masonry repair Advanced of Philadelphia Planning PhaseFirst United Methodist Germantown, Philadelphia $75,000 Masonry repair Advanced Church of Germantown Planning PhaseMerion Meeting, Religious Merion Station, Pennsylvania $95,980 Repairing trusses AdvancedSociety of Friends Planning PhaseSt. Mary’s Church, Episcopal Ardmore, Pennsylvania $50,000 Window restoration Project Underway

this Summer

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Update on Partners

8 SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008

Texas Regional Office UpdateTraining

For the first time, the Texas Regional Office ofPartners is reaching beyond the Dallas/FortWorth metroplex to congregations located inother Texas counties. For the 2008 NewDollars/New Partners program, Partners targetedcongregations with:

• Buildings listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places or listed as a Recorded TexasHistorical Landmark

• Capital needs beyond the capacity of thecongregation to fund internally

• Outreach ministries that serve the community• A clear vision for the future

Invitations to preliminary orientationmeetings were sent to 95 congregations ofvarious denominations from 30 central Texascounties. Graduates from this special session ofNew Dollars/New Partners can become eligible forPartners’ grant programs.

GrantsCongregations completing the training are

eligible to receive a $5,000 planning grant.Participants can then be eligible for capitalgrants from Partners.

The Texas Regional Office is currently workingclosely with several congregations and theirarchitects to carry out professional assessments oftheir building conditions. With finishedassessments in hand, the first congregations fromthe 2006 New Dollars/New Partners class are nowpreparing their capital grant applications.

EventsThe Texas Regional Office successfully hosted

a Religious Properties Workshop for professionalsand volunteers involved with caring for historicsacred places. The June conference tackledstewardship issues, provided fundraising advice,addressed landmarking opportunities andconcerns, and offered a question and answerperiod about building maintenance.

Texas Advisory Board Members

James Nader, Chair

Robert G. Adams, AIAKenneth BarrRichard H. Bundy, AIADaniel G. CareyLouise B. CarveyJudith S. CohenRobert I. FernandezGlenn S. ForbesDonald Gatzke, AIAMarty LeonardJames R. Nader, AIARobert F. Pence, PEElaine PetrusThe Rev. Brenda W. WeirDr. Gaynor Yancey

Ex OfficioFernando CostaWilliam J. Thornton, Jr.

Get the word out! Advertise in Sacred Places

Do you need to reach an audience that includes

caretakers of sacred places, preservation leaders, building

trades professionals and religious leaders? Advertise in

Sacred Places!

For rates and further information, e-mail

[email protected] or call Rana Gidumal

McNamara at (215) 567-3234, ext. 15.

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SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 9

A rural Texas congregation discovered that to successfully undertake thedramatic move of its building, it also needed to take inventory of the gifts,skills, and connections of its members. For Hutto’s only United Methodisthouse of worship to relocate to a more visible site, the congregation learnedto connect with new community partners, changed its name to DiscoveryUnited Methodist Church, and embraced a new view of its neighborhoods.

“The building project has been good for us,” states Becky Reid, HuttoDiscovery member and building committee volunteer. “It made us look atwhat assets we had in our congregation, and what assets we had in ourcommunity… It was very healthy for us, and it took a team effort to say,‘What are our assets, and with whom can we partner?’”

Maintaining a LegacyThe small country church was built in a cornfield outside of town by

Swedish craftspeople in 1910. As residential development encroached uponthe building and the dwindling congregation began exploring new options,a benefactor donated 10 acres of land along a major arterial road in Huttoin 2004.

After much discussion about whether to build a church in the newlocation or preserve the congregation’s historic sacred place, a third optionemerged when it hired Heimsath Architects. The architects in the 50-yearold firm helped guide the congregation to a daring yet cost-effectiveconclusion to satisfy the majority of the congregation: moving the existingbuilding across town to the new location.

The firm’s principal, Ben Heimsath, explains that this solution alsoadded value to the town. “This modest area had few buildings of anyconsequence, just a handful of commercial buildings and one church. If itwere not for the congregation tenaciously holding on to this building, itwould have been in the scrap heap with many other buildings that representan important part of the town’s history and legacy.”

Recognizing AssetsPartners for Sacred Places helped the congregation see its assets during

the New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place training in 2006. “When collecting bids, we asked ourselves who we knew in our

neighborhoods,” Reid said. “We started with “who do you know, and whatresources do we have in our communities? In the long run, I think it is goodto see how we can all rely on each other.”

During the building process, the congregation examined the linksmembers had within the community. Members discovered key relationshipsto help with the following needs:• Fundraising. The congregation conducted a “drive-through” fundraising

food event, common in Texas, which was an excellent vehicle for outreachwhen the church was under construction. The bonus? It provided anotheropportunity to develop a new partnership. The Optimist Group, acommunity service organization, happily volunteered to cook for the fish fry.“The support via services or other non-cash donations was very significant,”Reid notes.

• Construction and Beautification. When it was time to prepare the new plotof land for the church building, the congregation mobilized resources andasked a landscape company to donate in-kind services. Williamson County

SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 9

New Dollars/New Partners Success StoryDiscovery United Methodist Church:

A Texas Congregation Succeeds with an Asset-Based Approach

Update on Partners

The plaster removal process in the summer of 2007 uncovereda beautiful piece of history. The Swedish craftsmen used high-quality wood, placed at angles, to provide a solid structure forthe church.

“I was thankful for the support from the Partnersoffice… We are just congregation members who arevolunteers, and we are not in the constructionbusiness. It is great to have resources for people like us— It is nice to have a champion for preservation.”

— Becky Reid, Discovery United Methodist Church building committee member

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A crew installs a stained glass window at Discovery UMC’snew location, one of several windows restored by CentralTexas artisans.

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Update on Partners

Master Gardeners donated and planted greenery for thelandscape, and is in discussions with Discovery to establishHutto’s first community garden on the church’s grounds.

• Real estate opportunities. Discovery’s pastor, the Rev. KathyeSchade, networked with local residents daily at a conveniencestore when picking up her morning soft drink. Eventually, sheasked one of the regulars if he would be interested inpurchasing some property. The gentleman purchased theland, and built a home at the location of the former churchbuilding.

• Program Outreach. Though Discovery provides space for thelocal scouting troop, most of the building usage during theweek resulted from informal community partnerships. Nowthat the building has a more central location, thecongregation looks forward to instituting active ministriesduring the week and hosting programs for the community.Reid states, “We are on the tip of the iceberg for what ouractivities are… With the area’s rapid growth, there will beprograms that our church will be able to offer that we can noteven imagine now.”

The ProjectThe process of physically moving and renovating the

church took a decade to come to fruition. Recognizing thatrural Hutto is on the brink of a population explosion, thecongregation began planning for regional growth in the late1990s.

As Heimsath Architects hosted a workshop to lead thecongregation through the master plan process in 2004, the firm

realized that the congregation had a clear emotional andspiritual connection to building; “The congregation expressedconcern that an irreparable part of who they were would bewrenched away if the building was not part of their future,”Heimsath shares.

The congregation was at a standstill when they connectedto Partners for Sacred Places. “If it had not been for Partners’efforts working in parallel with ours, I can very convincinglysay that this project would not be here,” Heimsath notes.“They were essential in making all of this come together.”

Reid adds, “I was thankful for the support from thePartners office… We are just (congregation) members who arevolunteers, and we are not in the construction business. It isgreat to have resources for people like us—it is nice to have achampion for preservation.”

Reid notes that is was also helpful for the buildingcommittee to have a coach recruited by Partners. “There havebeen several times we have worked with Coach Hartley. He hasbeen great for me to call.”

After receiving a Partners planning grant in 2007, thecongregation arranged a conditions report. Discovery learnedthat the church’s cracked interior plaster was laced withasbestos, requiring special contractors to remove thehazardous substance.

Reid explains, “We spent more now, knowing we would savemoney in the future by not doing a quick job. We had $10,000scheduled for wood repair, not knowing what wasunderneath.”

The congregation installed a new roof and new insulation,and estimates the building will last for at least another 100 yearsbecause of the upgrades.

Hutto Discovery’s New JourneyThe change in location has already made a difference. A

congregation that had dwindled to 12 regular serviceattendees has grown dramatically, and 150 worshipperscrowded into the building during two services on EasterSunday. Impressed community members attended DiscoveryUMC’s grand opening in early May.

Reid states, “I have heard comments from the communitythat they are thrilled that we would care enough to save an oldstructure. We have gotten positive comments in relation to ourpreservation efforts!”

Heimsath adds, “Because (the congregation) moved thechurch to one of the new arterial streets, it is one of the earlyimages when arriving to town. When people arrive in Hutto,they no longer only see gas stations and strip malls. They see a100 year-old church.”

Congregation members discuss options for the new property.

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10 SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008

Th e Ar t o f Gl a s s , In c .

“We are committed to preserving thegreat art glass treasures of the past. Ourgoal is to maintain the original aestheticwhile enhancing the structural integrityof the original art work.”

Partial List of Clients:

University Chapel,

PrincetonUniversity, NJ

Packer Chapel,Lehigh

University, PA

First Presbyterian

Church, WalnutStreet, PA

Christ Church,Georgetown,

Washington, DC

Trinity Episcopal,

Princeton, NJ

316 Media Station Road, Media, PA 19063Phone: 610-891-7813 ~ Fax: 610-891-0150

www.theartofglassinc.com

(Pictured)“Victory of Life”Tiffany Studios,

Circa 1911,First Presbyterian,Germantown, PA

Hi s t o r i c R e s t o r a t i o n

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SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 11

Feature

Asset-Based Community Development:How Shifting a Mindset Can

Shift a Congregation’s FutureBy Steven Ujifusa

Q uinn Chapel African MethodistEpiscopal Church is a monumentto Chicago’s African-American

religious tradition. Since its completionin 1892, music has been interwoventhroughout the church’s history. DukeEllington performed sacred concertshere; its great pipe organ originallygraced the German pavilion at Chicago’slegendary Columbian Exposition.

But along with its distinguished past,the staff and congregation of QuinnChapel must also deal with the grimrealities of life in South Side Chicago. Itis only a block away from the HaroldIckes Homes, a desolate ChicagoHousing Authority high-rise project.

During the hot, sticky Chicagosummer of 2006, The Rev. James Moodynoticed a new group of visitors to hischurch. Ten to fifteen boys from IckesHomes were hanging out on thechurch’s street corner. Eventually, theycame to church breakfasts and even satin the pews during weddings. Somecongregants felt the kids were becominga nuisance.

The pastor along with others in thecongregation, thought otherwise. Rev.Moody learned there were no summeractivities at Ickes Homes, and the kidswere clearly bored. “They were comingto Quinn Chapel because they lovedbeing in that environment. They werereally an asset, and there was somethingattracting these boys to the church. Itwas the treatment they were receiving,and they were being fed. We saw it as areal benefit.”

Rev. Moody had recently completedthe New Dollars/New Partners for YourSacred Place training program, whichteaches organizations to understand andvalue the assets they have. He then

thought of what he had learned in theasset-mapping exercise led by LutherSnow, a consultant associated with theAsset-Based Community DevelopmentInstitute at Northwestern University.Rev. Moody made the decision to reachout to the boys. Thinking of what hehad learned at New Dollars/New Partners,the pastor invited the teenagers to achurch picnic.

As the congregation spread out onthe grass, one of the parishionersstarted to play a set of African drums.The teenagers were enthralled. “Theynever left those drums,” recalls Rev.Moody. “They wanted to play.” Theparishioner provided the young menwith lessons, and eventually the churchended up with its own African drumcorps. “We brought six drums for theiruse, and involved a couple of fellows inthe church already well-known for theirdrumming in Chicago to teach the kidscadences. This whole episode changedour congregation’s mindset, and showedthat every issue or challenge also holdsan opportunity.”

The church’s focus on communityservice was not lost on potentialfunders. On November 17, 2007, QuinnChapel A.M.E. Church received a$100,000 American Express Partners inPreservation Award (sponsored byAmerican Express and the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation) torepair its kitchen, and the site of itscommunity service ministries anddaycare programs.

Rev. Moody’s story represents theessence of Asset-Based CommunityDevelopment, or ABCD (see sidebar,page 15). ABCD developed out of theChicago community organizingmovements of the 1980s and 1990s

Luther Snow reads from his book, The Power ofAsset Mapping, during a New Dollars/New Partnerstraining in Philadelphia.

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(one organizer, now a household name,was Barack Obama). Its leadingproponents are Jody Kretzmann andJohn McKnight of the ABCD Institute,as well as consultants and current NewDollars/New Partners trainers LutherSnow, Michael Green, and the Rev.Michael Mather.

ABCD turns on its head the typicaltendency of community groups to look attheir needs and figure out how they canuse scarce resources—usually financial—to meet those needs. Proponents of asset-based community development believethat voluntary associations—whethercommunity groups or congregations—should look first at their assets, not theirneeds. These assets might be financial,but also might be the relationships,associations, and talents of theircongregation members. By transformingthese assets into actions, a once-struggling church might realize that itwill have more resources and potentialpartners than it realized.

To Snow, the New Dollars/New Partnerstrainer who worked with Quinn Chapel,asset-based community development isnot a methodology, but a mindset. In hisdefinitive book The Power of Asset Mapping:How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts,Snow states that congregations must shifttheir outlook away from meeting their“needs” and conquering their “short-comings” and towards exploiting theirexisting assets and strengths. The bigpsychological leap that many congre-

gations have to make is from a “fixed-sumgame” to an “open-sum dynamic.” In afixed-sum game, one’s gain is another’sloss. This mindset of scarcity can lead to adownward spiral of contention, which cantear a congregation apart. Or in Snow’slanguage, “Your gain comes at myexpense and vice versa. We think we aredividing a fixed pie.” This mindset is thetraditional “need-based” one that afflictsmany older, struggling congregations.

In an asset-based mindset, thecongregation will see each new projectas open-sum dynamic, in whicheveryone stands to benefit. Or, as Snowwrites, “Your gain is my gain is our gain.We think we are all contributing to agreater good.” A new outreach projectshould utilize the assets that alreadyexist within the congregation. It is theopen-sum dynamic, Snow feels, thatkeeps voluntary groups together.

One of the group exercises LutherSnow developed is known as “assetmapping” (see Guide to ABCD Terms, onthis page). This exercise has become acrucial component of the NewDollars/New Partners training program.The exercise is simple, but the effect isoften transforming. “Whatever happensin any voluntary group of people whenwe reflect on our gifts, strengths, andabundance,” Snow notes, “leads topositive cycle of getting things done.Groups experience a sense of power, ofbeing part of a larger whole.” A commonresult of the asset mapping exercises is

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12 SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008

Guide to ABCD TermsAsset Mapping Exercise: A group exerciseconsisting of three steps:1. Recognize your assets. Identify many of

your congregation’s assets and strengths,as well as the assets of the surroundingcommunity.

2. Connect the dots. Link some of theseassets together that would support newoutreach or programs.

3. Vote with your feet. Make an instant workplan by allowing participants to choosewhich action in which they would mostlike to take part.

Physical assets: Things you can touch andsee, from land and equipment to naturalbeauty and the environment.

Individual assets: The talents, skills, andexperiences of people.

Associational assets: Voluntary groupsand networks of people, from the moreformally structured volunteer associations(like service clubs) to informally gatheredgroups (e.g., people who meet for coffeeon Tuesday mornings).

Institutions: Agencies, corporations, andother organizations with budgets and staff.These might be nonprofit (like a hospital) orfor-profit (like a manufacturing firm) or public(like a government agency).

Economic assets: Community assetsinvolving money, such as spending power,investments, and capacities to producegoods and services for money.

Fixed-Sum Game: Your gain comes at myexpense and vice versa.

Open-Sum Dynamic: Your gain is my gainis our gain. We are all contributing to agreater good.

Definitions adapted from Luther K. Snow,The Power of Asset Mapping: How YourCongregation Acts on Its Gifts (Herndon,Virginia: The Alban Institute), 2004.

ABCD

The Rev. Mike Mather conducts an Asset-Based Community Development training during a PhiladelphiaOffice-sponsored New Dollars/New Partners program.

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the realization that a congregation’solder building, even if it is expensive tomaintain, is actually much more an assetthan a liability. Following the training,participants are encouraged to repeatthe asset mapping exercise with theircongregations, perhaps during a churchcoffee hour or a leadership retreat; theresult can be the development of newministries that utilize the skills ofcongregation members.

Dr. Peggy Dunn of GardinerCongregational Church in Gardiner,Maine would agree. Located on theKennebec River, Gardiner is a small,working class community. GardinerCongregational is a classic 1840s NewEngland wood frame building. Anadjoining social hall dates from 1873.Following the collapse of its logging andshipbuilding industries, the town hasbeen trapped in a downward economicspiral, as has Gardiner CongregationalChurch. Like Rev. Moody, Dunn wantedto open up her church to the widercommunity, but worried that her

congregation could no longer afford tokeep up its structure.

Following an asset mapping exerciseconducted during a retreat, Dunn saysthe congregation came to a newperspective. “The first thing is that werealized that we have enough, which isa huge (realization). Then we went intoreflection, looking away from the assetswe lack to the assets we have. We satsurrounded by the newsprint and let allthose words sink in. One of the things Iremember people saying is, ‘We are soused to looking at our problems. Now,it is so refreshing and life giving to lookat what we do have.’ It was an exercisein hope.”

Dunn and her congregation had tomake a crucial decision about whetheror not to sell any of their historicbuildings. “We determined there issomething that exists as thiscongregation and it is viable,” she said.

After much thought, Dunn and thechurch leadership decided to fundupgrades and restoration efforts and

try to share the buildings with thecommunity. Following the New Dollars/New Partners training program, GardinerCongregational Church received a grantto pay for architectural consultation. “We want to make these spaces moreaccessible and attractive,” Dr. Dunn says.“Since there is no handicap accessibilitybetween the floors, we want to know howwe could have an accessible entranceinto the lower floor. We would thenupgrade the upper floors and provideaccessible bathrooms.”

The ABCD philosophy can also leadto an entirely new congregationalmanagement style. Rev. Mather, a NewDollars/New Partners trainer and ministerat Broadway United Methodist Churchin Indianapolis, Ind. has used ABCDtraining to completely rethink how heruns his church. He searches forpotential assets and resulting actions notjust in the congregation, but in thesurrounding community. To reach outto the neighborhood, Mather appointedsomeone on the staff known as the

SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 13

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The first thing is that we realized that we have enough,which is a huge (realization). Then we went intoreflection, looking away from the assets we lack to theassets we have.

Some of the members of The Choir School of Hartford

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14 SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008

“roving listener.” De’amon Hargess’s jobis to talk with everyone on one block ofthe church’s neighborhood each week,asking them about their gifts anddreams. Out of the effort, the churchdeveloped a program called the ZawadiExchange. Named after the Swahiliword for “gift,” its mission is to connectvendors in the community to potentialbuyers. “We have found artists,entrepreneurs, gardeners,” Mather saysof his exploratory forays into thecommunity. “They all want to offer theirtalents to others.”

One Zawadi Exchange success storyinvolved the gardeners near BroadwayUnited Methodist. Hargess asked whatthey grew and whether they would beinterested in selling their produce. Aseries of further conversations ledHargess to Goose The Market, a high-end Indianapolis grocery store, whosephilosophy is “Eat Fresh, Buy Local.”After finding out about the inner-citygardeners, the owner of Goose theMarket put them in touch with buyers.

Some urban congregations sharetheir historic buildings for communityevents. The Rev. Sean Mullen, rector ofSt. Mark’s Episcopal Church inPhiladelphia, decided to tap into aninstitutional asset that lay directly acrossthe Street from his 1849 Gothic revival

church. St. Mark’s lies in the heart of arejuvenated Center City, and issurrounded by restaurants, shopping,and renovated row houses. Previously,the relationship between St. Mark’sChurch—a National HistoricLandmark—and the Curtis Institute ofMusic—one of the finest conservatoriesin the nation—had been polite butdistant. After participating in the 2007New Dollars/New Partners program andinspired by the asset mapping exercise,Mullen reached out to Curtis.

Curtis arranged for its studentchamber orchestra to play all six of theBach Brandenburg Concerti in St.Mark’s splendid neo-Gothic sanctuaryon November 17, 2007. The pews werepacked to capacity. The event was such aresounding success that St. Mark’s andCurtis scheduled another concert—Vivaldi’s Four Seasons—for thefollowing year.

Mullen credits the asset mappingexercise to opening up his congregationto actions such as the Curtis concert.“The exercise contributes to our senseof our ability to respond to things andour conviction that we actually have thewherewithal to address the challengeswe face,” Rev. Mullen says of the assetmapping session held during the annualvestry retreat. “If you want to be

involved in strategic planning, it isimportant to believe you have sometools to begin with.

“It is responsible, theologically, tooperate from abundance rather thanscarcity. We know that presumption ofabundance is right-minded and it is auseful instrument to break the negativecycle that presumes scarcity.”

The Rev. Don Hamer of TrinityEpiscopal Church in Hartford,Connecticut used existing institutionalrelationships to create a new musicaleducation program. A church that wasonce the house of worship for the city’selite, most notably the family offinancier J.P. Morgan, now serves amuch more socioeconomically diversecommunity, with growing contingentsfrom the Caribbean and West Africa.Efforts to connect various assets led to aviable children’s program: The ChoirSchool of Hartford. Trinity’s partnersincluded the Hart School of Music (agraduate program of the University ofHartford), the local public schools, andthe Boys and Girls Club located threeblocks from the church. “We now have24 students in the choir in its first year,many from city, some from suburbs, andfrom 15 different zip codes,” Rev.Hamer proudly notes. Each studentreceives free piano lessons, tutoring,mentoring for schoolwork, choralpieces, meals, and private voice lessons;a package valued at $3,500 per chorister.

“We didn’t realize how manycommunity partners we had,” saysHamer. “The asset-based approach gaveus the process by which to engage andcelebrate our mission.”

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member Dolly Jean Platt, descendent of one of thecongregation’s founding families, on History Dayin Hayden Hall. The silver service pictured wasused for years by Gardiner’s womens’ group.

Gardiner Congregational patriarch Percy Tibbettsreads newspaper clippings from Gardiner’sarchives during History Day.

Photo, next page: Gardiner Congregational Churchmembers gather at a spaghetti dinner fundraiser.

It is responsible, theologically, tooperate from abundance ratherthan scarcity.

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SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 15

Quinn Chapel AME Soccer Field

The Rev. James Moody’s story of Quinn Chapel’s Africandrum corps captivated many who attended a recent AfricanMethodist Episcopal pastoral conference. One of them

was the Rev. Gary Moss, pastor of the Faith Community A.M.E.Church in South Elgin, Ill. His congregation was suburban andstable, while Moody’s was surrounded by housing projects andurban blight. After hearing Moody’s story, Moss thought of a wayfor both congregations to work together to their mutual benefit.

For the past several years, Moss had been working with theU.S. Soccer Foundation to develop a youth soccer program tokeep kids off the streets. Moss approached Moody, saying,“soccer is the fastest growing sport in United States, and kids are taking it up everywhere exceptin inner-city black neighborhoods. What I have been trying to do is youth soccer for inner city,disadvantaged kids.” Moss asked, “would you be willing to help?”

Moody thought Moss’s idea was a good one, and the two men approached Gloria Williams,president of the Harold Ickes Homes’ residents association. Although initially skeptical, Williamsagreed to help support the project, on condition that parents become a big part of it.

Shortly afterwards, Moody and Moss met at a nearby vacant lot owned by the Chicago ParksDepartments littered with broken glass, trash, and cinderblocks.

Moody surveyed the lot, and then declared to Moss, “This will be our soccer field.”The team had almost no outside financing, but they started calling key people who might be

interested in helping. After receiving permission from the Parks Department to use the property,Pastor Moody then contacted the Streets and Sanitation Department, which agreed to cut down

The exercisecontributes to our sense ofour ability torespond tothings and our convictionthat we actuallyhave thewherewithal to address the challengeswe face.

In large part because of Trinity’s enormous contributions to the city of Hartford,the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism awarded the church a grant of$200,000 for building renovations—the largest single grant ever awarded by the stateagency. Trinity used the grant to fund part of the $750,000 needed to replace half ofthe church’s slate roof.

To advocates of ABCD, stories of churches acting as a catalyst for projects thatbenefit multiple parties reflect ABCD’s core principle. “It is not about creatingsomething that is not there,” says Mather, “but making people aware of what is alreadyin their hands.”

“The key is that the neighborhood around it values the congregation,” adds Green,another New Dollars/New Partners trainer. “The key to congregations being valued is to have an authentic relationship. If you are valued, then people wantyou to stay around.”

FeatureP

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KRONENBERGER & SONS

RESTORATION, INC.

Specialists in the restoration and preservation

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• Financial and administrative flexibility tomeet your project requirements.

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RESTORATION, INC.80 East Main Street

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weeds and move big boulders. Moody and Moss also called on thepresident of the National Black Teamster’s Caucus, which holds itsmeetings at Quinn Chapel.

Moody and Moss then got a phone call from a local landscaping firmwhich made an astonishing offer: for only $5,200, it would create twoyouth-sized soccer fields on the lot. There would be no charge for labor.

By July 2007, the landscaping firm had transformed the trash-strewn lot into two soccer fields covered in fresh sod. The openingevent was a three-day soccer clinic for children between the ages offive and ten, and nearly two hundred enrolled. Reverend Mosspersuaded members of the Chicago Fire, the city’s major league soccerteam, to provide the coaching. “Having the Chicago Fire there gave theparents a sense that this is real,” said Moss, “not a passing thing donefor publicity.”

“Kids from four different neighborhoods showed up,” Moodyrecalled, “something that usually does not work because of gangissues. Parents from the projects became soccer moms and dads!” heremembered, “They passed out the uniforms and set up tables.” Inaddition, volunteers from Moss’s suburban Faith Community A.M.E.Church helped set up the field and refreshment stands.

The three-day clinic awakened interest beyond the vicinity of QuinnChapel A.M.E Church. The United States Soccer Federation’s magazineran a story on the project called “Field of Dreams.” As the first 2007 fallseason approached, Moss called the director of community relations atNBC. “This is a community that gets all the bad press,” he told her.“Take a look and see what’s changing here.” Impressed by theprogram, NBC offered to lead a group of its employees to volunteer atthe October games.

The next step is for parents to take over the program’smanagement. Moss hopes that it will be self-governing within threeyears. “People have to step up and serve as advocates,” Moss added.“Our immediate concern was to make a difference, and moreimportantly, the parents had to be involved. We not only had toempower the residents, but also make them understand that they doaffect what happens in their children’s life.”

Moody feels that Luther Snow’s asset mapping exercise duringPartners’ New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Place trainingplayed a large role in the project’s success. “It’s about recognizingassets you have available,” he says. “You utilize what others haveavailable, and then you connect the dots.” In short, it was an open sumgame, in which all parties benefited, rather than a fixed-sum game, inwhich one party’s gain was another’s loss.

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262-786-3030 � www.conradschmitt.com

Decorative Painting-

Ornamental Plaster & ScagliolaStained Glass

-Etched Glass

-Murals

Mosaic-

Sculpture-

StatuaryFundraising Assistance

-Specification Writing

Investigation of Historic Decorative Schemes

St. James Catholic Church in Louisville,KY was originally decorated by the Conrad Schmitt Studios in 1927. In 2007, CSS was privileged to onceagain be of service to the parish with the completion of an extensive restorationfor their September rededication.

For more than a century, Conrad Schmitt Studios has beenprivileged to provide the design,renovation and restoration of interiors and stained glass forchurches throughout the country.The Studio can be a single sourceto accomplish the very bestprojects in terms of aesthetics,longevity, function and value.

Restoring Sacred SpacesRestoring Sacred Spaces

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SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2008 19

Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries Stan ChristophPresidentP.O. Box 1042Charleston, S.C. 29457(800) 849-6670www.christophpaccard.com

Professional Alliance Spotlight

Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries

Tucked just beyond the “Holy City” of Charleston, S.C., a centuries-oldpractice is alive and serving the United States. Christoph PaccardBellfoundries has a staff of associates with a combined total of 160 yearsof experience, striving to preserve the craft of casting bells. PresidentStan Christoph states, “There is a lot of integrity in this organization. We

provide a really great service because we have a heart for what we are doing.” The company uses modern technology to enhance hundreds of years of

experience. Though Christoph Paccard was officially established in the U.S. in 2006,the business has an exclusive relationship with Paccard Fonderie des Cloches, aseventh-generation French company founded in 1796.

Like its parent company, Christoph Paccard casts each handcrafted bell bylaboriously constructing an interior and exterior mold and pouring molten bronze inthe space between the forms. After the bell is cast and cooled, it is sandblasted,polished, and tuned to exacting musical standards. Christoph says, “Paccard bells areknown all over the world for their beauty, warmth, and sweetness of tone.”

In addition to casting new bells, congregations across the country engageChristoph Paccard in repairing and restoring their older bells and towers. Thecompany can preserve the historic structure of a structurally stable older tower byinstalling equipment that allows a bell to run while exerting little force. “We cancontrol every parameter of a swinging bell, such as how high it swings, and thereforehow hard the clapper hits it,” explains Christoph.

Christoph Paccard constructs new bell and clock towers to complement historicbuildings as well. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston recently hiredthe company to cast bells and construct a tower to complete the 1890 church’sintended Gothic design. The company is following strict guidelines regarding thestructure of the tower, the weight of the bells, and how the bells should ring.Christoph Paccard has also worked with the Cathedral of St. Mary in Trenton, N.J.,Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Orleans, and Myers Park United MethodistChurch in Charlotte, N.C.

Christoph Paccard can work with congregations with limited budgets. Often,congregations request the framework for a full carillon of bells, though it may be ableto afford only a few. Christoph says, “It makes sense, financially, to leave those optionsopen for the future.”

In keeping with a 212 year-old tradition, Christoph Paccard can host bell-castingevents if a congregation is celebrating a milestone. Historically, the French parentcompany did not have a foundry, and dug pits to cast bells on the congregation’sproperty. Christoph Paccard’s mobile furnace allows this onsite practice to continue,concluding the event with a ceremony to unveil and toll the bell.

Christoph explains, “Our approach to this business is different than some other companiesout there. It is a business, but I got involved hoping to keep bell foundries alive.”

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A peal of bells before renovation.

Getting Started• Research bells and bell foundries. • Establish a budget.• Determine the intended purpose. President Stan

Christoph of Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries says,“One of the first things we ask a client is ‘What isthe (desired) musical function of the bells?’”

• Assess the stability of the structure. Christophnotes, “If we are working with a building that hasnever had bells, we need to determine two things:if, physically, they will fit; and if, structurally, theywill support the weight and the dynamic of the bellswinging. Then we will design the instrument.”

A peal of threebells, restored andpolished.

Glossary of Bell TermsSource: www.christophpaccard.comCampanile: A free-standing bell tower, i.e., a

tower containing a single tower bell, a peal, orany of the other tower bell instruments namedhere, or a free-standing tower designed andbuilt for that purpose even though it may notcurrently house bells. A bell tower built into(and not simply connected to) anotherbuilding is not a campanile.

Carillon: A set of 23 or more cast bronze, musicallytuned bells chromatically arranged. A carillonoffers the most flexibility in playing music.

Chime: A set of eight to 22 bronze bells. As apeal builds upon the functions of a single bell,

a chime builds upon a peal by increasing thenumber of bells to the point that playingmusical passages becomes possible.

Glockenspiel: A set of tower bells (usuallyrelatively small in size) played by an automaticmechanism to accompany the operation ofseveral moving figures, which perform for theaudience.

Peal: A set of two to eight bronze bells, usedprimarily for liturgical bell rings (as opposedto playing musical passages). A peal buildsupon a single bell by providing clock chimes,as well as a platform for liturgical andcelebratory ringing of bells.

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Information Clearinghouse

The new electronic book American Synagogues: A PhotographicJourney features more than 3200 images from across the UnitedStates, bolstered by historical data for each congregation.

The e-book is already considered a resource for libraries andhistorical societies, but began as a labor of love by genealogist,archivist, and researcher Julian H. Preisler. Preisler’s hobby ofphotographing synagogues during his travels is grounded in hisbelief that it is a necessity to document Jewish communities.Preisler’s parents, survivors of the Holocaust, belonged toEuropean synagogues that were destroyed.

In the United States, local synagogues now stand vacant inmany mid-sized cities and small towns with once-thriving Jewishcommunities. “People lived and worshipped in thosecommunities, running businesses that may have lasted ahundred years or more. This is a way to pay tribute to them,even though the Jewish community may no longer be there.”

Each state entry features a brief historical introductionalong with photographs of existing and former synagoguebuildings, and dates of construction and congregationformation. The buildings range from urban to rural and grandto modest, highlighting a diverse array of architectural styles.Preisler notes that most Jewish congregations built synagoguesreflective of the popular style of the period. “In the earlytwentieth century, congregations were trying to fit in. Theywanted their Jewish house of worship to look like other housesof worship in the town.”

In some exceptions, the synagogues were designed to lookexotic. “The South has a lot of ornate synagogues, even in thesmall towns, because the Jewish population was successful.”Preisler notes that Port Gibson, Mississippi’s Moorish-stylesynagogue is a tourist attraction simply because it is a uniquebuilding for a small Southern town.

Images represent all 50 states as well as the nation’s capital,but the collection is not yet comprehensive. This e-bookhighlights 1410 buildings, and is the first of two plannedvolumes documenting American synagogues.

Volume 2 is expected to be available in mid-2009. To order American Synagogues Volume 1, visithttp://americansynagoguearchitecture.com.

Temple Beth El inAnniston, Alabama,constructed in 1891, islisted on the NationalRegister of HistoricPlaces

Temple GemiluthChassed, built between1891–1892 in PortGibson, is one of theearliest synagogues inMississippi.

Historic Isaac SolomonSynagogue was built in 1926 on the grounds of the JewishConsumptives’ ReliefSociety in Lakewood,Colorado.

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American Synagogues: A Photographic Journey

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Brawer Hauptman, ArchitectsPhiladelphia, PA(215) 829-0084www.brawerhauptman.comChurch Buildling Architects, Inc.Wheaton, IL(630) 260-1177www.churchbuilding.comContinuum Architecture & DesignPhiladelphia, PA(215) 627-3845www.continuum-architecture.comPage Ayres Cowley

Architects, LLCNew York, NY(212) 673-6910http://newyork-architects.comJames Hudson Crissman, FAIAWatertown, MA(617) 923-3010www.jhcfaia.comDPK&A Architects, LLPPhiladelphia, PA(215) 627-2700www.dpka.comFarewell Mills Gatsch

Architects, LLCPrinceton, NJ(609) 452-1777www.fmg-arch.comGriffin Architects, P.A.Asheville, NC(828) 274-5979www.griffinarchitectspa.comHarboe ArchitectsChicago, IL(312) 977-0333www.harboearch.comHistoric Building Architects, LLCTrenton, NJ(609) 393-3999www.hba-llc.comJames Hundt, ArchitectClifton Park, NY(518) 371-0832www.jameshundt.com

Kelly/Maiello Inc.Architects & Planners

Philadelphia, PA(215) 546-0800www.kmarchitects.com Kimmel Bogrette Architecture +

SiteConshohocken, PA(610) 834-7805www.kimmel-bogrette.comKise Straw & KolodnerPhiladelphia, PA(215) 790-1050www.ksk1.comK+K Associates, LLPArlington, TX(817) 781-3044www.kpluskassociates.comLichten Craig Architects, LLPNew York, NY(212) [email protected] Kelley BaurerChicago, IL(312) 266-7400www.mkbdesign.netJohn Milner Architects, Inc.Chadds Ford, PA(610) 388-0111www.johnmilnerarchitects.comMenders Torrey & Spencer, Inc.Boston, MA(617) 227-1477www.mendersarchitects.comCraig Morrison, AIANew York, NY(212) 513-0409 [email protected] Robert Mueller, R.A.Bronx, NY (718) 432-2510www.rene-mueller.netJoseph K. Oppermann,

Architect, P.A.Winston - Salem, NC [email protected]

PATRON Heating and Cooling SystemsUnico SystemSaint Louis, MO(314) 481-9000www.unicosystem.comLevine & Company Roof

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Ardmore, [email protected] CONSULTINGClayton Acoustics GroupCarmel, NY(845) 225-7515www.claytonacoustics.comARCHITECTS1:1:6 Technologies IncorporatedMedia, PA(610) [email protected], Inc.Chicago, IL(773) 545-1870www.altusworks.comAmory ArchitectsBoston, MAwww.amoryarchitects.com(617) 695-0300Atkin Olshin Schade ArchitectsPhiladelphia, PA(215) [email protected] Blinder Belle Architects &

Planners LLPNew York, NY(212) 777-7800www.beyerblinderbelle.comBill Brown, AIA Professional Corp.Colorado Springs, CO(719) 473-8138www.billbrownaia.com

BECOME A MEMBER OF THEPROFESSIONAL ALLIANCE

Membership in the Professional Alliance is a wonderfulway for firms specializing in the restoration of historicreligious properties to increase their visibility among anational audience of clergy, congregational leaders andpreservationists. Membership benefits include:

• Free listing in Partners’ Web Site Directory

• Free access to Partners’ Information Clearinghouse

• Discounts on select publications, workshops, conferences and events

• Free subscription to Sacred Places, Partners’ newsletter

Join the nearly 100 firms across the nation listed here who take advantage of this unique marketing andpromotional opportunity. For additional information on the Professional Alliance, please contact Rana Gidumal McNamara at 215/567-3234, ext. 15, or at [email protected], or visitwww.sacredplaces.org/professionals.html.

Membership does not constitute endorsement.

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Page & TurnbullSan Francisco, CA(415) 362-5154www.page-turnbull.comRobson Group ArchitectsChantilly, VA(703) [email protected] Jay Rosenblum, R.A.

& AssociatesPhiladelphia, PA(215) [email protected] D. Shermeyer, AIAYork, PA(717) 843-3200www.SAAarchitects.comStephen Tilly, ArchitectDobbs Ferry, NY(914) 693-8898www.stillyarchitect.comMarianna Thomas ArchitectsPhiladelphia, PA(215) 386-0200www.mtarchitects.netVoith & Mactavish ArchitectsPhiladelphia, PA(215) 545-4544www.voithandmactavish.comVolz & AssociatesAustin, TX(512) 476-0433www.volzassociates.comBELLSChristoph Paccard BellfoundriesCharleston, SC(800) 849-6670www.christophpaccard.comThe Verdin CompanyCincinnati, OH(800) 543-0488www.verdin.comBUILDING CONSERVATION AND

PRESERVATION CONSULTING1:1:6 Technologies IncorporatedMedia, PA(610) [email protected], Inc.Chicago, IL(773) 545-1870www.altusworks.comBuilding Restoration and Repair

Consultants LLCHolland, OH(419) [email protected] Hudson Crissman, FAIAWatertown, MA(617) 923-3010www.jhcfaia.comW. S. Cumby, Inc.Springfield, PA(610) 328-5353www.cumby.comdeGruchy Masonry

Restoration, Inc.Quakertown, PA(215) 536-4482www.degruchymasonry.comDPK&A Architects, LLPPhiladelphia, PA(215) 627-2700www.dpka.comHanson General Contracting, Inc.Philadelphia, PA(215) 483-8338www.hgcinc.bizHarboe ArchitectsChicago, IL(312) 977-0333www.harboearch.comEd Kamper AssociatesCaldwell, NJ(973) 228-3945

Kelly/Maiello Inc.Architects & Planners

Philadelphia, PA(215) 546-0800www.kmarchitects.com Kimmel Bogrette Architecture +

SiteConshohocken, PA(610) 834-7805www.kimmel-bogrette.comKise Straw & KolodnerPhiladelphia, PA(215) 790-1050www.ksk1.comKronenberger & Sons

Restoration Inc.Middletown, CT(860) 347-4600www.kronenbergersons.comLevine & Company Roof

Consulting & ArchitecturalConservation

Ardmore, PA(610) [email protected] + Carr ConservationPhiladelphia, PA(215) 763-8090www.milnercarrconservation.comJoseph K. Oppermann,

Architect, P.A.Winston-Salem, NC (336) [email protected] & TurnbullSan Francisco, CA(415) 362-5154www.page-turnbull.comRichbrook ConservationNew York, NY(212) 656-1425www.richbrook.netSAAarchitectsMark D. Shermeyer, AIAYork, PA(717) 843-3200www.SAAarchitects.comSimpson Gumpertz & HegerSan Francisco, CA(415) 495-3700www.sgh.comWilliam J. Stivale, Jr.New York, NY(212) [email protected] Thomas ArchitectsPhiladelphia, PA(215) 386-0200www.mtarchitects.netVertical AccessIthaca, NY(607) 257-4049www.vertical-access.comCEMETERY AND GRAVESTONE

PRESERVATIONChurch Restoration GroupCranberry Township, PA(877) 403-8569www.churchrestoration.comMilner + Carr ConservationPhiladelphia, PA(215) 763-8090www.milnercarrconservation.comMosko Cemetery Monument

ServicesHanover, PA(866) [email protected] Restoration GroupCranberry Township, PA(877) 403-8569www.churchrestoration.comW. S. Cumby, Inc.Springfield , PA(610) 328-5353www.cumby.com

Hanson General Contracting, Inc.Philadelphia, PA(215) 483-8338www.hgcinc.bizKronenberger & Sons

Restoration Inc.Middletown, CT(860) 347-4600www.kronenbergersons.comMasonry Preservation Group, Inc.Merchantville, NJ(856) 663-4158www.masonrypreservationgroup.comUnkefer Brothers ConstructionPhiladelphia, PA(215) 563-3615www.unkefer.comDECORATIVE FINISHES/

INTERIOR FURNISHINGSConrad Schmitt Studios Inc.New Berlin, WI(800) 969-3033www.conradschmitt.comConservation of Sculpture &

Objects Studio, Inc.Forrest Part, IL(773) 594-1451www.csosinc.comSteven B. Erisoty Painting

ConservationPhiladelphia, PA(215) 753-8808www.ArtConservatorsAlliance.comGriffin Architects, P.A.Asheville, NC(828) 274-5979www.griffinarchitectspa.comJohn Canning & Co., Ltd.Cheshire, CT(203) 272-9868www.canning-studios.comLandmark StudiosPittstown, NJ(908) 730-8895www.landmark-studios.comMezalick Design Studio, LLCPhiladelphia, PA(215) 744-5490www.mezalick.comRambusch Decorating Co., Inc.Jersey City, NJ(201) 333-2525www.rambusch.comENGINEERINGSimpson Gumpertz & HegerSan Francisco, CA(415) 495-3700www.sgh.comLarsen and LandisWilmington, DE(302) 475-3175www.larsen/landis.comFUNDRAISING CONSULTATIONBloom ConsultingWilmington, DE 302-584-1592www.bloomconsultinginc.comThe Breton GroupGrand Rapids, MI(616) 975-9907www.bretongroup.comMacIntyre AssociatesKennett Square, PA(888) [email protected] Rev. Dr. Nancy MuthGlenside, PA(215) [email protected] BUILDING/DESIGNW. S. Cumby, Inc.Springfield, PA(610) 328-5353www.cumby.com

Kelly/Maiello Inc.Architects & Planners

Philadelphia, PA(215) 546-0800www.kmarchitects.comPage & TurnbullSan Francisco, CA(415) 362-5154www.page-turnbull.comStephen Tilly, ArchitectDobbs Ferry, NY(914) 693-8898www.stillyarchitect.comVoith & Mactavish ArchitectsPhiladelphia, PA(215)545-4544www.voithandmactavish.comHEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMSUnico SystemSaint Louis, MO(314) 481-9000www.unicosystem.comLIGHTING DESIGNGriffin Architects, P.A.Asheville, NC(828) 274-5979www.griffinarchitectspa.comRambusch Decorating Co., Inc.Jersey City, NJ(201) 333-2525www.rambusch.comLITURGICAL ARTSBotti Studio of Architectural Arts, Inc.Evanston, IL(847) 869-5933www.bottistudio.comLandmark StudiosPittstown, NJ(908) 730-8895www.landmark-studios.comMASONRY RESTORATIONBuilding Restoration and Repair

Consultants LLCHolland, OH(419) [email protected] Masonry

Restoration, Inc.Quakertown, PA(215) 536-4482www.degruchymasonry.comKeystone WaterproofingGreensburg, PA(800) 888-5924www.keystonewaterproofing.comKnapp Masonry LLCMagnolia, NJ(856) 297-6576www.knappmasonry.comLandmark StudiosPittstown, NJ(908) 730-8895www.landmark-studios.comMasonry Preservation Group, Inc.Merchantville, NJ(856) 663-4158www.mpgnj.comOld World Stone LimitedPrinceton Junction, NJ(905) 332-5547www.oldworldstone.comPremier Building Restoration, Inc.Erdenheim, PA(215) 233-4444www.premierbuilding

restoration.comMASTER PLANNINGJohn Milner Architects, Inc.Chadds Ford, PA(610) 388-0111www.johnmilnerarchitects.com

ORGAN RESTORATIONPatrick J. Murphy

& Associates, Inc.Stowe, PA(610) 970-9817www.pjmorgans.comROOFING CONTRACTORS/

CONSULTINGLevine & Company, Inc.Ardmore, PA(610) [email protected] GLASS

RESTORATION/CONSULTATIONAmerican Consultation on

Stained GlassEnid, OK(800) 821-9595www.americanstainedglass.orgThe Art of Glass Inc.Media, PA(610) 891-7813www.theartofglassinc.comBotti Studio of Architectural Arts, Inc.Evanston, IL(847) 869-5933www.bottistudio.comConrad Schmitt Studios Inc.New Berlin, WI(800) 969-3033www.conradschmitt.comMezalick Design Studio, LLCPhiladelphia, PA(215) 744-5490www.mezalick.comPike Stained Glass Studio, Inc.Rochester, NY(585) [email protected] Stained Glass StudioWinona, MN(800) 533-4444www.reinarts.comRohlf’s Stained &

Leaded Glass Studio, Inc.Mount Vernon, NY(800) 969-4106www.rohlfstudio.comJulie L. Sloan

Stained Glass ConsultantsNorth Adams, MA(413) 663-5512www.jlsloan.comStained Glass Resources, Inc.Hampden, MA(413) 566-5053www.stainedglassresources.comWillet Hauser Architectural GlassWinona, MN, and

Philadelphia, PA(800) 533-3960www.hauserglass.comSTEEPLE REPAIRKeystone WaterproofingGreensburg, PA(800) 888-5924www.keystonewaterproofing.comTOWER CLOCKSChristoph Paccard Bellfoundries Charleston, SC (800) 849-6670www.christophpaccard.comThe Verdin CompanyCincinnati, OH(800) 543-0488www.verdin.comWEBSITE DESIGNReady Set Go!Chris PagePhone 215-840-2858www.ready-set-go.biz

Page 23: SACREDSACRED PLACESPLACES - Partners for Sacred Places ... · Training. New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Placeis an intensive program that gives congregations with older buildings
Page 24: SACREDSACRED PLACESPLACES - Partners for Sacred Places ... · Training. New Dollars/New Partners for Your Sacred Placeis an intensive program that gives congregations with older buildings