How Village Churches Thrive: A Practical Guide

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From October 2022 to March 2023, we hosted monthly read-alongs to How Village Churches Thrive: A Practical Guide. Each session, we were joined by an expert in the field to give advice and support on the relevant chapter topic. Past sessions Drawing on the wisdom of a wide variety of practitioners, the full-colour book covers ten key areas that enable village churches to flourish: Having suggested to our benefice churchwardens and Readers that this is an ideal book to work through with a PCC or whole church community, I have received an enthusiastic response, and am hopeful that this timely volume will give encouragement and inspiration to many involved with the growth of vibrant and gospel-centred communities in rural settings. Often there’s more than one way to do things. Start with ‘what is the least we can do?’ in terms of intervention to meet our needs and go from there. Consider the imagery around your church - can you make it more diverse? People will feel more comfortable if they see people like them up front, on the noticeboards, in artwork etc. The UKME Chapter are available as free guest preachers.

Who might we partner with? Lots of organisations need volunteers, so can we as a church resource the work of other organisations instead of keeping within our church walls? Sandra adds, “This book pulls together really practical, simple ideas with case studies and stories from a range of contexts, including from our own Diocese. This is one of those books that every village church should have on their bookshelves, and I’m sure one that will be referred to many times. It’s attractive to look at, easy to dip into – definitely worth investing in.” The Revd Talisker MacLeod, rector in the Benefice of Cherbury with Gainfield, lead a session on seasons of ministry, encouraging those present to consider what season they and their churches are in. Drawing inspiration from tending a garden, Talisker says;The Diocese of Oxford has a long history of developing creative thinking regarding the rural church. The publication of a new practical guidefrom Bishop Robert Atwell and others in autumn 2022 gave way to a new format of engaging with mission and ministry in rural contexts. In ten short chapters, by a variety of authors with a range of experience, Anglican and ecumenical, it covers ten significant areas. They include extending a warm welcome, caring for God’s acre, cultivating festivals, reaching the isolated, and communicating effectively. Each chapter begins by flagging up three key learning objectives and provides a brief overview of the subject, a selection of case studies, and a collection of “Great Resources”, giving further depth and inspiration. What are the good resources for children’s ministry? Any resource is only as good as how you inhabit it. Whatever resource you use, inhabit it well to get across what you want it to get across – and keep it simple. Be the 'heartbeat' of a village community. Your church could affect positive change in village life. Leading a community audit could be an important place to start. Whilst aimed at rural churches, much of the advice will be relevant to suburban and urban churches as well.

All the book's contributors are active in supporting the growth of rural churches through their roles in the Church of England or through organisations such as the Arthur Rank Centre, the Churches Conservation Trust, and Caring for God's Acre.For more help, consider whether your project would be eligible for a Development Fund grant, and get in touch with your Parish Development Advisor. With 40 people, both lay and ordained, in attendance at the sell-out event, conversations flowed throughout the day. Flourishing in mission and ministry The RtRevdDagmar Winter, Bishop of Huntingdon and national Lead Bishop for Rural Affairs, considered how we canflourish in mission and ministry in our rural contexts today. The ten concise chapters draw on the shared wisdom and experience of a range of contributors including our very own Head of Church Buildings, Geoffrey Hunter. The guide covers ten significant areas: HUGH DENNIS’s carefully constructed foreword to How Village Churches Thrive highlights a great conundrum for rural parishes when he describes evident affection for his village church without once mentioning allegiance to the Christian faith. Similarly, although conversations on the streets of our benefice often include the question “How is the church doing?”, they seldom translate into regular engagement with our work and worship. Clearly, support for church buildings as a key component of what defines “a village” persists, particularly among older residents, while the Church is still cautiously perceived as an institution with a positive impact on community life.