EVERYBODY’S WELCOME by Patricia Hegarty is a brief book, aimed toward three- to five-year-olds. A “little mouse” dreams of the longer term “in an ideal big comfortable house”. As the mouse begins to construct, other animals take part, each with their very own tale of woe: a frog whose pond has dried up, birds whose tree has been chopped down, a bear who frightens everyone along with his size.
They are all invited to hitch in the development, “and the news will soon spread for miles around, of what we’re constructing — a house protected and sound”. When the home is complete, it should be “crammed with song, and everybody in it should feel they belong”. As a vision for a church constructing, it could hardly be bettered: all of the lost and lonely, the broken and bewildered, joining together to create something harmonious and practical, protected and joyous.
The animals’ forest house is crammed with bunting and paper lanterns, with open windows surrounded by greenery, the inside and exterior mixing together. It is “placemaking” at its most fundamental: a various group of people gathering together to create a shared space for the good thing about all.
The principles of “placemaking” have been around for the reason that Sixties, but have change into increasingly significant lately within the planning of public spaces. “Placemaking” is a technique of remodeling public spaces which involves “serving, listening to, and asking questions of the individuals who live, work, and play in a specific space as a way to understand their needs and aspirations for that space and for his or her community as an entire”.
As a process for exploring how we view and use the external environment of church buildings, this may be transformative. It is admittedly time-consuming, because the opinions of the church community should be gathered. It is undoubtedly labour-intensive, as agreement should be reached and every step should be examined to be sure that any changes proposed align with the community vision for the church.
It should result, nonetheless, in an external space that meshes with the values of the community, encourages passers-by to enter the constructing, and provides all those involved a sense of investment within the space and belonging to the place. In other words, the sensation that “everybody’s welcome and all can play an element.”
CALL your community together, inviting everyone to contribute to a vision of how the external space might look. Remember that churchgoers are usually not the one stakeholders: others could also be dog walkers, families, historians, prayer warriors, passers-by, “regardless of who you’re”. Don’t be afraid to dream big, but do ensure that you might have the architect and the diocese on board. Be intentional in regards to the space — what and whom should or not it’s for — and ensure that you simply plan for refurbishments and enhancements.
Placemaking projects may be huge — changing an entrance area right into a café and meeting place; installing a labyrinth within the grounds — but small changes can also nudge a constructing right into a more welcome appearance, encouraging passers-by to enter. Relatively quick and easy changes may be made that ought to serve to blur the boundaries and extend the welcome, encouraging and enthusing the irregular visitor and committed church tourist alike.
It is straightforward to focus all the eye on the within a church constructing, forgetting that individuals must get to the brink before they cross it. Too often, the primary information that a visitor is given a few church is that its roof is protected against theft by SmartWater. A friendly, welcoming noticeboard, with the times of the services and “everybody welcome” — ideally visible if one is driving past — is just the start. If services times are too complicated to suit on one panel, consider simplifying your service pattern, traumatic though this is perhaps.
- If you might have a lychgate, reflect on how that is perhaps used to encourage people to enter: bunting or balloons for a family service, or a banner with the sort and time of service. Providing it doesn’t damage or deface a historical monument, you may be as imaginative as you want.
- If your church path can be a pedestrian thoroughfare — rejoice! Employ alternative ways to encourage users of the trail to linger, resembling information panels sited along the best way, or a churchyard prayer path.
- Consider whether you may rejoice the liturgical seasons in your external environment — ideally in an interactive way: a picket cross that invites passers-by to tie ribbons as tokens of prayers; a spot for prayer-cairns; a big Easter tomb with the stone rolled away.
- Place benches in open spaces with invitations to take a seat and rest, although it is advisable to situate them with clear sight lines to discourage nefarious night-time activities.
- Make it clear which is the principal door to the church. Most churches have a couple of doorway, and I actually have often circled a constructing greater than once searching for the best way in. A straightforward A-frame noticeboard positioned outside shows the visitor the best way from the churchyard and may indicate what visitors might expect on entering the constructing.
- Extend your flower arrangements beyond the inside: in the course of the pandemic, one church’s path was lined with glorious flower arrangements, so well received that this was repeated in subsequent years.
Porches are designed to be liminal places, easing the transition between “in” and “out”, but they’ll easily change into gloomy and depressing. Apart from the plain steps (resembling ensuring that every one notices are up so far), attempt to cluster statutory information resembling safeguarding and insurance in a single place and devote the remaining of the space to event publicity and “who’s who”. An image of a friendly, possibly familiar face will encourage people to step over the brink.
Try to think through how your church exterior can promote your vision: in what ways are you hoping to have interaction together with your community? and the way can the churchyard or surroundings promote this?
The Revd Dr Sally Welch is the Vicar of the Kington Group within the diocese of Hereford.
