Rural Roadshow – ARC on the road

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at Bakewell Methodist Church DE45 1EL
10am – 2pm on Tuesday 9th June 2026,

Free Entry – Booking Required

As part of our vision to enable and empower rural Christians of all denominations who work within the unique context of rural mission and ministry, we invite you to attend our first “Rural Roadshow”. Join us as we celebrate all that is rural.

Come along and share a day of learning, networking and encouragement … and leave with new friends and practical resources.

The Arthur Rank Centre is an ecumenical national charity, that resources, trains, and advocates for rural Christians, rural churches and the communities they serve.
Our vision is of confident rural Christians, encouraged to engage in effective mission and ministry.

With financial assistance from the Westhill Endowment we are taking The Arthur Rank Centre on the road.
The Arthur Rank Centre’s “Rural Roadshow” celebrates all that is rural and gives a taster of our training and support out into the countryside.

Join us for a free day of networking and nourishing, both spiritually and physically. All are welcome. Lunch and resources included.
Our first Rural Mission and Ministry Roadshow is on the 9th June 2026, from 10am – 2pm at Bakewell Methodist Church DE45 1EL 
For more information or to book your place at this free event, please email us by clicking here with your name, role, denomination, address and contact details

Government ends church VAT repairs scheme, raising concerns for rural churches

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Rural church buildings face new challenges following changes to repairs funding and VAT

On 22 January 2026, the UK Government confirmed the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which for more than 20 years has enabled churches to reclaim VAT on repairs and alterations. In its place, the Government has announced a £230 million funding package intended to protect and preserve heritage buildings, including listed places of worship.

This new capital funding has been welcomed, but it comes with a significant change. Under the new arrangements, churches will now have to pay VAT on repairs in full. This means that local congregations and volunteers will not only need to raise funds for essential work such as roof repairs, stonework or heating systems, but will also need to cover an additional 20% tax cost.

The National Churches Trust has responded by welcoming the principle of new funding, while expressing serious concern about the loss of VAT relief. Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the Trust, noted that churches depend overwhelmingly on volunteers and stressed that any new scheme must be simple, accessible and predictable if it is to work well in practice.

He also highlighted the unfairness of the new situation, pointing out that museums and galleries offering free admission do not have to pay VAT on repairs, while churches now will. The Trust has called on the Government to reconsider this approach and not place additional tax burdens on local communities already working hard to care for historic buildings.

For rural churches, the impact of these changes may be particularly acute. Many serve small populations, have limited fundraising capacity, and care for buildings that are both listed and central to community life. Delays to essential repairs risk not only the future of worship spaces, but also the loss of buildings that host social events, support services and local gatherings.

At The Arthur Rank Centre, we are mindful of the challenges this presents for rural churches and chapels. We will continue to monitor developments closely, share updates as more is known about the new funding scheme, and work alongside partners who are advocating for fair and sustainable support for the care of rural church buildings.

You can read here the National Churches Trust’s full response and find further information about their campaign.

The Rural Missioner’s Guild launching to encourage and connect those serving in rural mission

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The Arthur Rank Centre is delighted to announce the launch of the Rural Missioner’s Guild, a new ecumenical fellowship created to support, connect and encourage those involved in rural mission and ministry across the UK.

Launching on 30 January 2026, the Guild has been jointly developed by The Arthur Rank Centre and the Diocese of Leeds. It offers a simple but purposeful way for people serving in rural contexts to feel sustained, recognised and held in prayer. The Guild is open to anyone with a heart for rural mission, whether lay or ordained, and from any Christian denomination or tradition.

At the heart of the Rural Missioner’s Guild is a shared commitment to prayer and mutual encouragement. Rural mission can often feel isolating, with leaders and volunteers stretched across wide geographies and complex responsibilities. The Guild exists to remind those serving in these places that they are not alone, and that their calling is shared by others across the countryside.

Membership of the Guild draws people into a prayerful network that values faithfulness, attentiveness to place and the slow, steady work of presence that characterises much rural ministry. Members receive a Guild prayer card and pin badge as tangible signs of belonging, and an annual contribution of only £10 helps sustain the life and work of the Guild.

Each year, the Guild will mark St Isidore’s Day on 15 May, celebrating the patron saint of those who work in rural communities. This annual moment will provide space to reflect on rural mission, give thanks for those who serve faithfully, and recognise individuals whose contribution has made a particular difference in their local context.

Alongside this, the Rural Missioner’s Guild will offer small seed-corn grants of up to £200, designed to support local, grassroots ideas and initiatives. These grants are intended to encourage creativity and experimentation, helping new expressions of mission and community engagement to take root in rural settings.

As part of the Guild’s life, we are also inviting nominations for those who may be recognised as “Rural Champions of the Rural Missioner’s Guild”. These are individuals whose faithful service, imagination or long-term commitment to rural mission deserves to be noticed and celebrated. If you would like to nominate someone, please send their name and a short explanation to info@arthurrankcentre.org.uk. Nominations are now open, and we encourage people to begin submitting from now on.

The launch of the Rural Missioner’s Guild reflects The Arthur Rank Centre’s ongoing commitment to listening to, learning from and walking alongside rural churches and communities, and the value of working in partnership with others who share a deep commitment to rural mission. Through prayer, connection and shared encouragement, the Guild seeks to strengthen those who quietly and faithfully serve Christ in rural places.

Further information about the Rural Missioner’s Guild, including how to join, can be found here The Rural Missioner’s Guild

Date 15 January 2026

Listening to the Soil

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Reflections on Listening to the soil

At The Arthur Rank Centre, listening sits at the heart of what we do. We listen to rural churches, to farming communities, and to the places where faith and daily life meet. From time to time, we encounter writing that helps us listen more carefully, and reminds us why attentiveness matters.

Here, we are grateful for the reflections of Tizz (Mark Tizzard), through his piece Listening to the soil. This is the first in a new series of seven reflections on the Parable of the Sower. It invites a slower pace, creates space to notice what is often overlooked, and takes seriously the quiet wisdom that emerges from lived experience of land and work.

Attentiveness in rural life and faith

Tizz’s reflections resonate strongly with the rhythms of rural church life. His writing encourages attention and careful observation. Soil is not treated as an abstract idea, but as something known through time, touch, and care. In this, it mirrors much of what rural ministry looks like in practice.  Those serving rural communities will recognise this instinct, where presence and relationships matter deeply. Change is often gradual and shaped by trust rather than strategy. These reflections help articulate this way of being, and affirm its value at a time when speed and certainty are often too highly prized.

Listening as a way of discerning the Spirit

There is a gentle spirituality running through Tizz’s work. It is grounded in ordinary realities, and attentive to what is already happening. In listening to the soil, there is an openness to the movement of the Spirit within creation, work, and place.  For the rural church, this will feel familiar, where faith is often expressed through faithfulness rather than visibility, and through care that unfolds over years rather than through programmes. Tizz’s writing offers language that helps name this experience, and reassures those who live and minister in this way that such attentiveness has depth and purpose.

A resource for reflection and encouragement

We are thankful for voices like Tizz’s, which offer space for reflection without rushing towards conclusions. His writing encourages thoughtful questions. What are we noticing in the places we serve? Where are pressures emerging quietly? What might need time, patience, or rest?  These questions shape how churches pray, how pastoral care is offered, and how communities are accompanied through both change and continuity. They remind us that listening itself is an act of care.

We are grateful to Tizz for beginning to share his reflections, and for contributing to wider conversations about land, faith, and attentiveness in rural life. As this is the first in a series of seven reflections on the Parable of the Sower, readers may wish to follow the series as it unfolds over the coming weeks, and we commend Listening to the soil to anyone involved in rural church life, farming, or community leadership, and we give thanks for the way it helps us listen more carefully to the places and people entrusted to us.

Faithfulness so often begins by paying attention to what is already there.

Original article:
https://marktizzard.substack.com/p/week-1-listening-to-the-soil
Accessed: 10 January 2026