It’s official: good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Rural churches play a key part in enhancing the well-being of local communities. As well as encouraging social connections, churches help local people to find an eternal perspective in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Swinton Village Choir started with a simple premise: meet for a few weeks before a community Christmas event and prepare a few songs to supplement a programme of sing-a-long carols and performance pieces by local children. Many of those who came along had never sung in a choir before but enjoyed singing Christmas songs and thought it would be good fun. The local music teacher agreed to lead rehearsals and actively encouraged participation and laughter in equal measure, so no one felt intimidated.

Historically, church buildings were not just places for worship but a space for the wider community to come together and use. Going back to these community roots can offer today’s buildings a new lease of life, while also encouraging more people to encounter God in His holy place.

Captain Gordon Banks CA from the Diocese of Lichfield thinks that it is important for the local church to put in place a strategic plan as part of its thinking about and response to the opportunities new housing can have. He suggests the following framework for reflection…

Based in the beautiful countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan, the Amelia Trust Farm is a pioneering and successful Methodist mission project. It was the brainchild of Bob and Ethel Huggard who wanted to support disadvantaged young people in mainstream education who found it hard to learn in a traditional classroom setting. In 1990 the Huggards donated land to create a rural lung and a countryside sanctuary for everyone to enjoy, and named the Farm Trust after Bob’s mother Amelia.