The Diocese of Canterbury is opening the doors on a pilot to encourage more visitors into church buildings. Churches will be supported to express Christian generosity and hospitality with encouragement from the Generous Giving team and Diocesan Advisory Committee who specialise on our church buildings and related matters.
Speaking about the Inviting Visitors campaign, Generous Giving Adviser, The Revd Lindsay Yates, said: “The aim of this campaign is to get the community more involved and build better support for our parish churches. It will also improve the experience for tourists, pilgrims, and all visitors, motivating them to give towards the care of our beloved church buildings and support the ministry and mission connected to them.”
Diocesan officers will be offering practical bespoke advice to help churches make their church buildings more welcoming to visitors, to open-up church doors outside of their usual service times, whether regularly or just for special occasions, and to manage any associated risks.
Endorsing the scheme, Bishop Rose said: “This is an exciting project which aims to fling wide the doors of our parish churches and embrace our visitors in a way that enables them to engage with all that our buildings have to offer. Our churches provide us with unique spaces offering an oasis of peace and tranquillity; the symbols we see speak of God’s presence and openness to all who enter.”
Churches that are interested in being involved with this year’s pilot are invited to complete this brief questionnaire.
If you have any questions or would like any more information, please contact us at generousgiving@diocant.org