OSG members will be aware of recent debates on the expanding uses of church buildings for mission and community use. There has been continuing good news of churches being opened up for education, arts, and recreational use as well as increasing use for shops, post offices and groups working with disadvantaged peoples. Only a minority of churches is now locked during the week and many have arrangements to welcome visitors on a regular basis.
In annual visits made by the Council for the Care of Churches (including those jointly with DACs), we have seen really dramatic examples of re-ordering of large church spaces for outreach to the homeless and community groups. From large schemes like St Martin-in-the Fields (£32m) to local village churches (£25k), church communities are raising money, supported by grants, to repair and improve churches up and down the country. Nearly 50% of churches now have toilets and kitchens, enabling these buildings to be used for concerts, plays and exhibitions in addition to providing necessary facilities for worshipping.
The Churches Tourism Association has launched a new strategy 'Sacred Britain', encouraging partners including dioceses and their ecumenical equivalents to organise their policy on the use of our heritage buildings.
One of the first initiatives is 'ASPIRE' a programme to help with planning of visitor development in churches. Really important work has been done in the pilot areas Bristol, Hereford, Liverpool, Northumberland and North Wiltshire. An application to the Heritage Lottery Fund has been submitted to enable other areas to be included. Visit www.churchestourismassociation.info and look at the 'ASPIRE projects' pages for more information.
Birmingham Diocese is involved in a multi-faith training programme for Faith Guides and downloads of the presentation are available through the above website. The Diocese of York is now including church tourism in its new mission initiative within a 'Sharing Faith' portfolio. Doncaster Minster is receiving considerable help from the local council with a new landscaping plan to put it back as an easily accessible community facility, after years of being cut off by aggressive road building.
Church buildings are at the heart of every community and one of our main arteries to connect with all God’s people. We have a wonderful opportunity for outreach in the next few years but we all need to be pressing secular agencies to work with us. See my Private Member's motion and sign up for this to have a proper debate in synod.
Roy Thompson
OSG Secretary
