Arlington, VA

After years of faithful discernment, Arlington Presbyterian was challenged with a new three-pronged vision: to create affordable housing, to be a place of crossroads and connection, and to nurture disciples of Jesus Christ. APC was called to sell its building and land to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) in order to build Gilliam Place, a 173-unit affordable housing apartment community on the site of their previous building on Columbia Pike.

This vision was shaped by the stories of their neighbors, in particular their struggle to connect within the community and to find affordable housing in South Arlington. As one church member recalls, “the call to create affordable housing was bigger than the old building itself – so, the walls came down.”

We started working with Arlington Presbyterian in the wake of this major change and identity shift for Arlington Presbyterian Church. In the fall of 2020, when considering what to do with the proceeds from the sale of their building, this question emerged: how can we make decisions based on our values instead of anxiety about money?

To help them reflect on this question and discern an answer, we:

• led a retreat to explore their money story and release the anxiety in the system

• wrote an intensive recap report with extensive recommendations based on what we heard 

• facilitated a strategic thinking process to identify core values

• created a strategic filter rooted in core values for decision making

• worked with leadership to develop a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the judicatory body for future money considerations

• engaged in ongoing coaching to provide professional support for ongoing culture changes around money.

• provided coaching on the budget process, financial policies and procedures, a financial screen and rubric, and writing of a Lenten Bible study with the topic of What does God say about poor people and rich people?

Rev. Ashley Goff joined us for a webinar to share how the community at Arlington Presbyterian used their strategic filter to ground themselves in their values as they make decisions. Watch Rev. Ashley describe how her team was able to transform their relationship to their budgetary process, moving from an anxiety-based experience toward a justice-focused model.