Some of us lack imagination. Is there somewhere we can go to find information about all the different things that rural churches actually use their buildings for?
The key needs identified here are: • A central hub for information, resources and training dedicated to all aspects of rural church buildings: use, adaptation, funding, community involvement and mission. This should incorporate a library of examples of what other rural churches have done.
• Guidelines and assistance in working with the wider community to both maintain and develop use of well-loved rural church buildings.
Children and Youth There is a genuine appetite and concern among rural churches for the needs of rural children and youth, and a need for a range of assistance. Respondents express their concerns about effective ministry in their rural communities in three main areas.
a. Church-Based Children’s Work
Rural church-based children’s work is often with small numbers of children in individual, often dispersed, churches and communities. An Anglican priest from the South West reveals: I have 5 parishes, none of them big enough to run a proper children’s group. So we are thinking of doing something combined in the whole benefice. We would appreciate help in various areas: examples of what others have done in similar situations; how to actually set something like this up; resources we can use; training for lay people in the benefice to run this when set up. We have looked into ‘Messy Church’ but I think we are too rural and too small for this to be effective in our situation.
b. Work with Local Primary Schools
Working with local primary schools, in assemblies and more widely. A Methodist lay person from the West Midlands reveals: There is a small primary school in the village, and although there are not many of us in the church and some of us are on the old side, we would like to help with assemblies and other things. Are there any guidelines for this? What sorts of things can we do? Do we need special training?
c. Work with Rural Young People
Rural-based youth work, especially in situations with small numbers, dispersed communities and poor access to facilities or services. A part-time Baptist youth worker
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