Help Spotlight Sacred Spaces: Public Voting Open Through Dec. 5

Public voting is now open for the 2025 Partners for Sacred Places National Photo Contest, and members of our Grand Canyon Synod are invited to help choose this year’s People’s Choice winners. Voting is open through December 5, with winners announced on December 15.

Vote here: https://sacredplaces.org/photo-voting/

This year’s theme—“Third Place: Sacred Places Serving Their Neighborhoods”—highlights the essential community role of houses of worship. Across traditions, sacred spaces provide more than worship; they anchor neighborhoods, foster belonging, and serve as hubs of compassion, creativity, education, and care. This is deeply aligned with our Lutheran understanding of church as a public witness, rooted in the call to love our neighbor.

How Voting Works

In addition to jury selections, the public selects one People’s Choice winner per category. Each winner receives a $200 cash prize. Voters may choose one photo in each of the following four categories:

• Arts

  Celebrating sacred spaces as homes for liturgical and community arts.

  From concerts and dance to visual and liturgical art, these images highlight sacred places alive with creativity.

• Education & Service

  Showcasing the work of congregations in serving children, families, seniors, immigrants, and neighbors in need.

  Photos include moments of compassion, learning, and community care reflected in sacred settings.

• Open Space

  Featuring sacred spaces as landmarks, gardens, courtyards, sanctuaries, playgrounds, and other meaningful places of gathering and reflection.

• Community Events

  Highlighting the many ways congregations host neighborhood gatherings—from worship and town halls to meals, festivals, and celebrations.

Why This Matters

Partners for Sacred Places lifts up the irreplaceable civic value of religious properties. These photos witness to how faith communities—like our own congregations across Arizona, southern Nevada, St. George (UT), and the Navajo Nation—serve neighbors with generosity and grace.

As you vote, take time to celebrate the beauty and impact of sacred spaces everywhere. Your vote helps amplify the powerful story of what congregations contribute to civic life—one image at a time.

Cast your vote by December 5: https://sacredplaces.org/photo-voting/