General Resources Working with others Land and buildings Including young people Sharing faith Working with schools Creative worship Back to start
Land and buildings
Faith in Affordable Housing is a free web-based resource, giving practical and technical information to assist churches in using church land and property to provide affordable housing. The guide presents nine case studies from different denominations and from rural and urban areas. www.fiah.org.uk
ACRE and the Rural Community Action Network of village hall advisers provide an information and advice service for those who manage village halls and other rural community buildings. www.acre.org.uk/communityassets_villagehalls_findadvisor.html
They also provide specific information on church buildings.
www.acre.org.uk/communityassets_churches.html
Church buildings, especially those that provide space for community activities or wish to do so, can access advice and help through Church of England Church Care or on 020 7898 1886.
The Cathedral and Church Buildings Division (CCB) of the Church of England has contributed to a paper called Church and Faith Buildings: Realising the Potential to help faith groups identify sources of funding that could develop places of worship to make them better able to deliver public services, and to build the capacity of faith groups to engage strategically at local and regional levels around the delivery of local priorities and access to national funding.
The Resourcing Mission Office of the Methodist Church provides the local church with ideas, support and encouragement for its mission, with particular regard to church buildings. www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=churchlife.content&cmid=165
Work is carried out in close association with the Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes (TMCP), who provide legal help on all property matters and who hold the legal title to Methodist property.
One Church, One Hundred Uses CIC aims to support the mission of the United Reformed Church by working with local congregations to maximise the use of their buildings. It aims to achieve high quality, imaginative, yet practical solutions for the effective regeneration of churches for wider community use, whilst retaining them as URC properties where possible. www.onechurch100uses.org/cms
There is a guide to the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure 2007 which aims to inform and resource those who are living in a rural area and are seeking to develop their mission and ministry. It can be found at: http://content.yudu.com/A1fn82/DPMMGuide/ or DPMM Rural Guide1109.pdf
Hidden Britain is a charity-run initiative to encourage tourism, to uncover lesser known areas of the countryside, and to provide a different and more meaningful experience for the visitor. For guidance, advice and support please visit: www.hidden-britain.co.uk
Presence and Buildings is a brief paper exploring church buildings as an invaluable resource and tool in the sharing of God’s mission. It provides stories and examples of the creative and innovative use of church premises in rural communities. It can be found at: www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk/publications_and_resources/rural_ministry_bookstall_and_resources/downloadable_resources/index.asp
Crossing the Threshold from Hereford Diocese (2009) includes an online toolkit for a Community Development Approach to the Use of Church Buildings. This can be found at: www.hereford.anglican.org/churchgoers/community_partnership_and_funding/about_us_and_latest_news/toolkit.aspx
You are welcome – a visitor toolkit for churches is a practical, step-by-step guide to making your church a welcoming place for visitors. It can be downloaded from: www.stdavidsdiocese.org.uk/tourism/resources/
