Faith and Community
Houses of worship across the U.S. are turning to solar energy to cut costs, support their communities during emergencies, and promote environmental stewardship. Methow Valley UMC in Washington is installing solar panels and batteries, thanks to a grant secured by a high school student, while houses of worship in New Orleans have created solar-powered hubs to provide power during hurricanes.
A Chicago church is leading the way in building strong discipleship practices that start with one individual and ripple through the broader community. Through the initiative, the congregation is linking faith with addressing spiritual, social, and economic needs of the community.
In Minnesota, Muslim women started Hiking Hijabie, an initiative to gather and enjoy the outdoors together. Nasrieen Habib, organizer of the program, started it as a way for Muslim women to have a safe space to experience Minnesota's natural environment.
With homelessness on the rise, a Louisville cathedral has expanded its Room in the Inn winter shelter program to serve the growing demand. The congregation partnered with a local nonprofit to provide 15 beds seven nights a week next month.
History and Tradition
Have you ever wondered how the Jewish tradition of eating Chinese food on Christmas began? Its roots can be traced back to New York City’s Lower East Side in the late 19th century, where Jewish and Chinese immigrants lived side by side. Chinese restaurants provided a welcoming space, free of cultural or religious barriers, and their cuisine often adhered to Jewish dietary preferences by avoiding the combination of meat and dairy. Both Jewish and Chinese populations did not celebrate Christian holidays. As “the City That Never Sleeps” largely shut down on Christmas, Chinese restaurants remained open, offering a perfect gathering place for the Jewish community.
Houses of worship in New York City are preserving endangered languages, ensuring that cultural and religious traditions are passed down to future generations. As one of the most linguistically diverse cities in history, NYC is home to nearly 700 languages, many of which find sanctuary in immigrant congregations. Worship services in rare dialects like K’iche’ (a Mayan language), Syriac, and Garifuna work to connect communities to their heritage and attempt to help sustain cultural identities.
Housing and Real Estate
Tishman Speyer’s TS Communities is set to begin construction this month on a 339-unit affordable housing development at 160 Van Cortlandt Park South in the Bronx. The project, located on the former Visitation Church and School site, will include 285 units for households earning 40%-105% of the area median income and 53 supportive housing units for previously homeless individuals.
St. John’s United Church of Christ in Mansfield sold its historic building and property at auction on Dec. 5 for $120,000 to a New York investor, who later defaulted on payment. The church has since accepted a $65,000 offer from a local bidder. The church, which was built in 1912 and includes a pipe organ valued at $900,000, has seen its congregation shrink from 1,000 members in its mid-20th-century heyday to about 60 attendees today. It will now rent space at Hope Lutheran Church as it transitions to a more affordable future. Pastor Faith Proietti emphasized that the sale marks a shift in focus from maintaining a building to prioritizing community mission work, reflecting a broader trend among churches.
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