Placemaking is the work of belonging fully realized in combination between the physical spaces in our neighborhood and how we live into those spaces. It lies at the intersection of our heart, soul, strength and mind with love being the only way to it.
The strength work of placemaking concerns itself with one primary question:
- How well are we leveraging our physical resources and assets toward the flourishing of our neighbor?
It is estimated that the U.S. church possesses over $640 billion (!!!) in properties and land! Let that sink in! And while it does, now try to assess how fully we maximize this asset. Most church spaces in my neighborhood….most church buildings I’ve ever known and have come across in my lifetime (and that’s a lot of churches!) sits greatly underutilized most days but Sundays (morning).
For followers of The Way whose WAY invites us to love our neighbor as ourselves, the reality that hundreds of billions of dollars is sitting underutilized should be alarming. Besides its people, the church’s greatest asset is our space, and we’re not using it very well. Ace in the City believes we have the tools and the imagination to do something about it. THANK YOU for walking alongside us and supporting us as we lean in and dive deeper into the good work of placemaking.
Have a great week, friends!
