22
Welcoming Visitors & Tourists: 1. Fling Wide The Gates! Ian Simpson MBA CBIFM Heritage Officer, Diocese of Liverpool Trustee, Churches Visitor & Tourism Association
Welcoming Visitors & Tourists:
1. Fling Wide The Gates!
Ian Simpson MBA CBIFM
Heritage Officer, Diocese of Liverpool
Trustee, Churches Visitor & Tourism Association
Closed and Locked: Keep Out, Stay Out!
Does this speak of an open, welcoming God?
to welcome visitors and tourists
to welcome visitors and tourists
Open and Welcoming: Come One, Come All!
“Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
to welcome visitors and tourists
Today I am going to Make It Easier for you to….
- Understand why keeping your church open is important
- Overcome objections from those who want to keep it closed and locked
- Open your church in a safe and secure manner
- Use your building as an active tool for Mission
- Find ideas and resources to help you
Reasons for keeping the Church closed
• We’re worried about security
• We’re about mission, not buildings
• We can’t afford to keep it open all the time
• We haven’t got enough people to open it
• Our church isn’t very interesting
• People will leave mud, litter, etc.
• Dogs might come in!
• We once caught a couple “at it” in the church!
to welcome visitors and tourists
Excuses for keeping the Church closed!
to welcome visitors and tourists
• We’re worried about security
• We’re about mission, not buildings
• We can’t afford to keep it open all the time
• We haven’t got enough people to open it
• Our church isn’t very interesting
• People will leave mud, litter, etc.
• Dogs might come in!
• We once caught a couple “at it” in the church!
Security EXCUSE: “Won’t opening the church mean we get vandalised? Thieves will come and steal our valuables… and the lead off the roof!”
to welcome visitors and tourists
FACT: Churches which are open and look like they’re cared for are LESS likely to be targeted by petty vandals and thieves.
FACT: If an open church is targeted the damage is likely to be less extensive and to cost less to repair.
FACT: Ecclesiastical Insurance Group WANT you to keep your church open! (Subject to a few common-sense guidelines, of course)
to welcome visitors and tourists
Security: Sensible Precautions
Lock away valuables such as Communion Plate and Electronics.
Use a large, heavy padlocked box for cash if possible.
Keep doors to tower ladders, plant rooms, etc., securely locked.
Build relationships with local Police.
Follow any advice given by your Insurer.
Use a properly-designed stand for Votive Candles.
Mission EXCUSE: “We’re about Mission – winning souls for the Lord and getting more people in on Sunday! We’re not running some sort of fun house here.”
to welcome visitors and tourists
FACT: Your building is witnessing even when you’re not there. It was built for God’s glory and proclaims Him 24/7/366.
FACT: You’d love a congregation of between 700 and 4000 then, wouldn’t you? That’s how many visitors the CVTA reckons each open church gets p.a.
FACT: Many people who self-identify as “spiritual” rather than “religious” welcome a sacred space in which to pray, think, reflect and remember their loved ones.
to welcome visitors and tourists
Stoke, St. Peter ad Vincula
Current building 1829 but there has been a church on this site for over 1,000 years. Strong sense of place, story and continuity.
Hugely mission-focussed. Loads of free literature for visitors to take, and someone on site to answer questions.
Money EXCUSE: “We’re struggling to pay our parish share and all the bills. We simply can’t afford to keep the building open, heated and lit”.
to welcome visitors and tourists
FACT: Just opening the door costs precisely NOTHING (although you may want to buy a nice “welcome” sign!)
FACT: You don’t need to heat it. “Come on in – the building’s cold but the welcome’s warm”! Or just open in the warmer months?
FACT: Lighting costs can be managed. “Turn off the lights when you leave”, only use minimal lighting, use LED lighting which is very cheap to run.
to welcome visitors and tourists
Votive Candles
Guide Books / Leaflets
Gift Aid envelopes
Cards – QUALITY ones, not rubbish!
JustGiving by SMS (e.g. TEXT “SAGN69 £10” to 70070)
Money-spinners!
Remember: A closed church doesn’t attract any of this money!
to welcome visitors and tourists
Halifax Minster
900 years of history. Now a major regional attraction which contributes to the local economy.
People EXCUSE: “We haven’t got enough people to staff the church, welcome people and keep an eye on things”.
to welcome visitors and tourists
FACT: People from the community might be glad of this opportunity – tourism department of local college, retired people….
FACT: It is quite possible and safe to leave the church open and unstaffed either all or part of the time.
FACT: If you can get some volunteers you can count their time as “in kind” match-funding for HLF Repair Grants – this might act as an incentive.
to welcome visitors and tourists
Bretherton, St. John
Open 9-5 every day. Usually unstaffed despite 2009 arson attack.
“Heritage Value” EXCUSE: “Our church is rather plain. It doesn’t have much that people will want to see”.
to welcome visitors and tourists
FACT: Visitors are not all hard core “church crawlers”. Visitors are anyone who comes to use the church outside the hours of public worship.
FACT: It is the prayers of the faithful which hallow sacred space, not the artworks and artefacts within it.
FACT: Heritage isn’t all about “objects” anyway. The STORY is at least as important!
to welcome visitors and tourists
Kyrenia, St. Andrew Telling the story of a faith community which has survived some awful experiences.
“The Wrong Type of Visitors” EXCUSE: “There’ll be mud and litter all over the place. Dogs will wander in. And as for the couple we found in flagrante….”
to welcome visitors and tourists
FACT: Jesus met some “dodgy characters” in His ministry. You’ll meet some in yours, too. Cope with it. And be kind to them!
FACT: There are tactful and polite ways of letting people know what behaviour is (or isn’t) expected from them in God’s house.
FACT: Churches used to employ Dog Whippers to keep out unruly dogs. There isn’t much call for them now, in fact I have never heard of dogs being a real problem in churches. I did have to deal with a stray cat once though!
to welcome visitors and tourists
Open Churches: Ten Top Tips
1. Decide on opening times and stick to them.
3. Offer visitors a warm and genuine welcome!
4. Make sure information is accurate and up-to-date.
5. Make votive candles available
2. Publicise the fact the church is open.
to welcome visitors and tourists
Open Churches: Ten Top Tips
6. Write and sell a quality guide book.
8. Leave a Guest Book out and encourage visitors to sign it.
9. Consider partnership opportunities with other local churches, businesses or attractions.
10. Join the Churches Visitor & Tourism Association
7. Make Gift Aid envelopes available.
Source: Ian Simpson (2014) – see www.iansimpson.eu/HBN01.pdf
to welcome visitors and tourists
You Are Not Alone! There are lots of people and resources out there to help you open your church, publicise it, give you ideas and even help fund visitor activities.
Diocesan Heritage Officer – Ian Simpson 0151 705 2127 (www.iansimpson.eu)
Churches Visitor & Tourism Association – www.cvta.org.uk
Nigel Lacey’s Church Tourism Study – www.churchtourismstudy.com
Britain Express - www.britainexpress.com/historic-churches.htm
Church Days (Church Building Council) – www.churchdays.co.uk
Heritage Lottery Fund (Sharing Heritage Grants Programme) – www.hlf.org.uk
to welcome visitors and tourists
End of Part 1
Thank you for listening!
Any questions?
