Mission and Ministry
Rural church buildings are an invaluable asset and provide enormous opportunities for mission. They can also become a stifling burden and a drain on energy and resources. The Arthur Rank Centre is working with partners to provide churches with the tools and support they need to use their premises creatively and host services such as post offices, community shops or citizens advice bureaux.
In addition to these particular partnerships ARC is also encouraging the innovative and imaginative use of rural church buildings as community spaces, and tourism and heritage initiatives; many good examples can be found using the links below. We recommend that churches always liaise with the appropriate bodies within their denominations when developing the use of their premises; you can find more information in the guidelines published here according to your specific project.
CREATIVE USE OF CHURCH BUILDINGS RESOURCES
The Methodist Church - resourcing mission
The United Reformed Church - Plato Property Handbook
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
PUBLICATIONS
Making Church Buildings Work (Durran M, Canterbury Press, 2005)
Regenerating Local Churches (Durran M, Canterbury Press, 2005)
Presence (Methodist Church, 2004)
Seeds in Holy Ground (Acora, 2005)
Making Connections (Hopkinson J, Jones G, Martineau J, Acora, 2010)
Country Way Magazine (Arthur Rank Centre)
In response to the Network Change Programme implemented between 2007 and 2009, which resulted in the closure of around 2,500 post office services, the Arthur Rank Centre worked with Post Office Ltd to draw up guidelines for churches interested in hosting outreach post office services.
The Arthur Rank Centre has worked with the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux to produce guidance to churches on how to best to provide a CAB on church premises.
The Arthur Rank Centre has worked with the Plunkett Foundation to write guidelines for churches wishing to host a community shop.
