The pews were rocking at Holy Trinity on a recent Sunday as worshipers from the Minnesota Swahili Christian Congregation sang and danced beneath the lofty, dark-wood-trimmed ceilings and lively stained-glass windows.
Historic city churches find new life as neighborhood centers kxly.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kxly.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Historic city churches find new life as neighborhood centers netscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from netscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Across the U.S., historic urban churches built decades ago to accommodate hundreds or thousands of worshippers and bulging Sunday school classes have struggled with shrinking flocks and rising preservation costs. So, many are finding new ways to use their buildings that let them both keep those sacred places viable and serve the neighborhoods they’ve anchored for decades. In Minneapolis alone, landmark churches have hosted everything from food pantries and Finnish language classes to tai-chi practices and group discussions on reparations. Elsewhere in the country, they’ve rented out space for events or programs like preschools, bringing in much needed revenue, and also made their buildings available free to community groups.