|
|
|
|
 The eighth Sign of the Kingdom is what my work as HBCDO is all about.
My task is to help churches have buildings which are fit for purpose.
The first step is to open the church buildings beyond the times of services. After all the buildings are not ours, they are here to serve the parishioners, not just the congregation.
The PCCs which have responded and opened their buildings have been surprised and encouraged by the reaction from parishioners and visitors.
Prayers can be offered in the building every day simply by the person who unlocks. But it is very evident that once open, the visitors offer many of the prayers. Visitor book entries, prayer ribbons tied, prayer stones placed in pools or (where it is safe) candles lit all indicate that once they are open, the buildings are used as a places of worship and prayer.
The majority of buildings are left open on trust. Some however, because of their location require a bit of supervision. The best way is to have an activity going on inside – busier buildings are safer buildings.
Welcoming buildings and welcoming people takes some thought and commitment to achieve but it is possible to do with limited resources if there is determination and commitment. Welcoming buildings have open doors and are dry, clean and tidy.
There are a number churches where the Church community have achieved the objective of making their church fit for purpose by:
- Cleaning out and repairing the gutters and rainwater goods to make the building watertight.
- Getting rid of the junk and giving the building a good clean.
When it comes to more significant changes, most church reordering projects take at least five years from conception to completion. Before you make any decisions about reordering, get the building open for more than just worship and see what happens first.
Getting and keeping the building dry is the most important thing to do in terms of looking after the fabric. Roof, rainwater goods and drainage in good working order is all that is needed to keep the building safe and sound for generations to come. Providing a dry hat and boots is the vital first step in making our buildings fit for purpose.
Andrew Mottram
Heritage Buildings and Community Development Officer
|
|
|
What do you think of when you hear the word church?
During the Three Counties Show, we asked people to describe what comes to mind when they think of church.
Watch the video >>
|
|
|
Retreat to Holland House
The warden of Holland House, our diocesan retreat house, has offered this very generous discount to "Kingdom People" visitors.
Find out more >>
|
|
|
What happened when we opened up our church to the community
The Revd Mark Badger offers his reflections on how opening their church had a real impact on the local community.
Read more >>
|
|
|
Making it happen
Alison, from St James, Welland, explains how they went about making the changes needed to open up the church.
Watch the video >>
|
|
|
Kingdom People facilitators
Chris Worsley explains how all parishes are welcome to invite a Kingdom People facilitator to help them with their vision.
Read more >>
|
|
|
The value of an external facilitator
This case study details how an outside consultant helped grow the vision for this church in the diocese.
Read more >>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
