Churches and other historic urban properties make up a great historical fabric of our communities—particularly our older communities. They are all under threat, however, due to aging structures, fewer parishioners, and not enough money to protect and modernize these buildings.

Most of the groups supporting these buildings do not have the capital or expertise needed to maintain them under ever-stricter regulations.

With no one clear funding model in sight, things can seem dire, though creative things are happening in different communities to maintain these buildings. In order for this to happen, it takes acknowledgement of the value these historic buildings provide to the community in modern times—and some degree of understanding as to how heritage buildings are kept and maintained.

As we saw with the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, fire is a key concern, es