Support NYC Portable Churches!

By Brian Koehn

Almost every weekend, we’re helping another church or two learn a system for setting up for their weekend services in a rented school building. Churches rent all kinds of buildings, but almost 75% of our churches end up in schools. As Scott Thomas, Acts 29 president, says, “They’re designed for large groups, and they’ve got parking.”

So it was quite a shock when I heard that, “The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in June that a public school could bar a church from renting its space after hours, while other groups could rent the space if they weren't using it for worship.” reference here)

It hit close to home because we had just delivered a portable church system to a New York congregation this spring, and sure enough, they are one of the 60+ congregations affected by this ruling.

When USA Today picked up the story and called us for our input, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but two days ago, this story was on the front cover of their paper. They wrote, “The city’s Department of Education, which has been trying for a decade to oust the congregations and end the weekend worship practice, won the latest legal round in June. As the case winds its way through more appeals, an injunction allows about 60 congregations to remain in place…”

Then it hit me: Why not use the credibility of this article to start a campaign to let these churches know how many people support them, and at the same time let the politicians in New York know how many people think that what they are doing is wrong.

Please sign this petition and pass it on to people who share your values. Let them know why you took the time to sign it. After you sign it – help spread the word on twitter, blogs and facebook. Let these churches know that they will not stand alone!