The landscape of the UK is dotted with thousands of historic churches – the legacy of our Christian heritage. Although attendance on Sundays is in decline, churches still have an important function in our society.
A recent report discovered that 84% of adults in the UK had been into a church building in the last year. Many went for weddings, funerals or christenings. Others went as tourists. A surprising number just wanted some peace and quiet, or wanted to pray.
We believe that people can encounter more than history, art or architecture on their visit to a historic church. We believe they can encounter God.
Our Historic Churches initiative aims to help churches to serve their visitors, through literature, ideas and events, prompting fresh thinking on how we use our sacred spaces for mission.
We have developed a series of resources specifically tailored to historic churches, including a set of prayer postcards, a reflective tour of a church building, and a book of prayers. All of these and more can be ordered online here.
To find out more about how the UK’s churches and cathedrals can engage visitors through their buildings, visit our dedicated Historic Churches website.
