How can churches use their buildings to foster love and connection with neighbors? Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis shares the diocese’s experience assessing all of their physical assets, asking how they can best serve God’s mission.  Bishop Jennifer brings expertise in architecture, theology, historic preservation, and urban planning.

Check out the Diocese of Indianapolis’ building initiative.

See Partners for Sacred Spaces’ website.

See if your church building may be eligible for listing on the National Register for Historic Places.

What can we learn from Saint Augustine about 21st-century local politics? Dr. Charles Mathewes brings wisdom, humor, historical insights, and apt pop culture references to a wide-ranging discussion on Augustine’s portrayal of the earthly city and the heavenly city.

Check out Charles Mathewes’ books A Theology of Public Life and The Republic of Grace, as well as his Great Courses series on Augustine’s The City of God.

Feeding ministries are some of the most common ways that congregations get involved in their neighborhoods. David Beckmann and Ross Kane discuss how those ministries can lead to advocating an end to hunger. Along the way they have a healthy discussion and disagreement about the role of partisanship in church advocacy.

Check out David’s website here.

Get involved with Bread for the World here.

On this episode we hear the story of a church that saw people struggling to pay rents and mortgages and decided to do something about it. Kat Turner, a leader of Church of the Resurrection in Alexandria, Virginia, joins the podcast to talk about how congregations can respond when they see a need in their community.

Check out the book Gone for Good: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition

Vibrant local politics not only transforms our neighborhoods and cities, it can enable wider political change. Dr. Lerone Martin discusses how the Civil Rights Movement, the most impressive movement of church politics in 20th century America, was built on local congregations organizing for love and justice. He offers advice for today drawn from the wisdom of the movement.

Check out Lerone Martin’s book The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover

In this first episode, pastor and professor Ross Kane gives an overview of the podcast. He talks about why loving neighbors is central to healthy Christian political life. By making politics a spiritual practice, congregations can play a vital role in renewing their neighborhoods.

Check out the book The Good News of Church Politics

Subscribe to Ross’ newsletter Ministry, Ethics, and Culture