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Mission vs. property maintenance

Iona, an island off the coast of Scotland, was home to a medieval monastic community. By the early 1900s, the community was long gone, and the buildings were in ruins. George MacLeod, a pastor in a working-class dockside congregation, was frustrated by the men being sent to him for internships from the seminary. They had head smarts but were unable to connect with the men on the docks and the families in his community. So he devised a plan. During the crushing years of the Depression, MacLeod brought together unemployed tradesmen and young seminarians and sent them to rebuild the monastic quarters and the abbey chapel. Working, praying and sharing in everyday life, they rebuilt not only a historical landmark but also a spiritual community that continues to have global influence today.

Creative ways to use your church property

Leaders at First Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennesee, had a difficult decision to make. The congregation had existed on a downtown block for more than 200 years. It has had three sanctuaries on the site and the graveyard has tombs for signers of the United States Constitution. Numerically, the historic congregation was holding steady, but its most recent building was old and in decline. Should members invest in costly renovations so that the building could be used for 21st-century ministry? Or should the congregation move to a more modern space closer to where the members live?

Minneapolis church opens new wing

Westminster Presbyterian Church opened its spacious new wing on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, with more than 1,100 people celebrating the physical connection of their 121-year-old church to a new building full of sunlight and color.

PC(USA) approves changes to the Joan Fong Capital Grant

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation approved the recommendation of the Finance Committee to make changes to The Joan Fong New Church Development (NCD) Capital Grant and that the necessary changes be made to the Policies and Guidelines of the General Assembly Church Loan Program Endowment Funds to reflect those approved by the A Corporation.

Making church campuses more accessible

Congregations wishing to make their facilities more accessible and inclusive of people living with disabilities have a new option for funding enhancements to their campuses: the Accessibility Loan from the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program (PILP).

All-Agency Review Committee revises reports, plans next steps

Day two of the Denver meeting of the All-Agency Review Committee began with an expression of gratitude by committee Moderator Deborah Block, who asked the group to review the mission directives discussion from yesterday and look toward the work of future meetings.