Pastor’s Corner – January 23, 2025

Did you know that one of the biggest challenges of churches in this era of decline in religious affiliation is maintaining aging buildings that are larger than the needs of the congregations who use them? We all know stories of churches forced to close their doors because they could no longer afford to maintain their campuses. Not only are the lives of the members diminished by the closing of their church, but the neighborhood they once served suffers too.

We are working at Friedens to avoid this sad outcome. We continue to meet our financial obligations and we continue to be able to care for our large church campus. However, if the cultural decline in religious affiliation continues, and there is no evidence that is changing anytime soon, there may come a time when a smaller congregation struggles to stay in the Friedens Church campus.

One way we have already been taking action on this concern is to reimagine the church campus as an asset for revenue. Welcoming community partners into the campus to use space and provide rental income can help ensure a future home for the members and friends who meet at Friedens Church.

We have had many groups who have rented our beautiful space for one time or short-term events like conferences, meetings, worship services, practices, or banquets. Those help our community learn about us and they add rental revenue to our overall income, but what we really need for more long-term security is a partner who sees the Friedens Church campus as their home too—a partnership that invests significantly in the long-term maintenance of the buildings and grounds.

Please join our church leaders in praying and thinking about connections you may have with community organizations who are looking for a space to invest in as a new home. Please send along any information to our Congregational President, Sheila Denman, at 13sdenman@gmail.com  or our Vice President, Bobby Dake, at sarge.army@gmail.com.

Yours in Christ,

Marc