New York Churches Offer Tours of Historic Worship Spaces

New York Churches Offer Tours of Historic Worship Spaces | [View online]( [Give Now]( Advertisement [Local Church Outreach]( [CT Pastors]( [Subscribe]( [More on Outreach]( Wednesday, May 22, 2019 New York Churches Offer Tours of Historic Worship Spaces The older I get, the more nostalgic I get about worship spaces. I love touring, visiting, and worshiping in beautiful old churches. In one community in New York, 23 churches [united]( to offer a historic church tour: “What I like to show is that is that we are carrying on that tradition. That we serve the community as the Johnson’s did. We feel as if it is our responsibility. They were generous to this congregation, this community. We give it back,” said Ron Wenzinger, the pastor of Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church. God is at work in any kind of space around the world—from cathedrals to caves—but I love historic church buildings. [Milwaukee Churches Work with the City to Reduce Crime]( In Milwaukee, there is a great public-private partnership between the city and local churches. This relationship has been [fruitful](, says Mayor Tom Barrett: Mayor Barrett spoke to the congregation at Abundant Faith Church of Integrity about violence prevention Sunday. He said homicides are down about 25 percent from where they were a year ago and non-fatal shootings have gone down 32 percent. But, there’s still a lot of work to do. These kinds of partnerships can be really effective, and it’s encouraging to see churches rally around their communities like this. [Owning Your City and Watching it Flourish]( I love this new piece from Jared Ray Mackey, who ministers in the Denver area. He’s been in his city for a long time, which has [helped]( develop his sense of calling and purpose: I have pastored the same church for over 25 years and have lived in the same house for nearly 20 years. Neither of those statistics should be staggering, but in my transient city, I am often an outlier. I didn’t set out to stay at one church for so long, but it has been one of the great gifts of God’s grace. My church, home, and city have formed me. They taught me the sacredness of place. The dirt is in my blood, and my blood is in the dirt. The dirt is in my blood, and my blood is in the dirt. I love that. [Daniel Darling] [Daniel Darling] [Daniel Darling](mailto:krohane@christianitytoday.com) Advertisement More from CT Pastors [The Dirt in My Blood and My Blood in the Dirt]( [The Dirt in My Blood and My Blood in the Dirt]( It took me 20 years to discover the value of place in my ministry. Jared Ray Mackey [Read More]( [Our Parking Team's Reflected Light]( [Our Parking Team's Reflected Light]( We see oceans of asphalt. They see opportunity. Matthew Towles [Read More]( [Partners in Preaching]( [Partners in Preaching]( Sermon prep doesn’t have to be a solo enterprise. Jennifer Morrow and Timothy Ross [Read More]( Related Newsletters [CT Pastors Newsletter]( Each weekly CT Pastors issue equips you with the best wisdom and practical tools for church ministry. [Sign Up Now]( [Small Groups Newsletter]( Regular access to innovative training resources, Bible-based curriculum, and practical articles. [Sign Up Now]( Advertisement Follow Us: [Follow on Facebook]( [Follow on Twitter]( Need fresh, practical ideas for reaching your community? Each week, you’ll receive a wealth of invaluable ideas and resources for the outreach-oriented church leader. Local Church Outreach Delivered free via email to subscribers Weekly. [Subscribe]( to this newsletter. You are currently subscribed as {EMAIL}. [Subscribe]( to more newsletters like this. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](. Copyright ©2019 Christianity Today 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188 All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe to CT]( | [Give Now]( Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.