1. www.churchtourismstudy.com Practice and Research Revd Nigel Lacey Rector Benefice of West Wycombe

2. Currently visited 460 churches Sent out 700 + questionairres Recently looking at Forward in Faith Churches Small Pilgrim Places Network Evangelical Churches

3. Methods Anglican Parishes churches in England Visits – Cotswolds, Norfolk, Essex, Suffolk, Somerset, London,Cumbria, Devon, Derbyshire, Dorset & few others. Standard criteria – record cards, open?, signage, leaflets etc available, provision for children, visitors book, prayers, candles, look up website, decide a rating, churchmanship Aim for consistency and objectivity + ‘calling card’ Looking for - Good practice Quality of welcome ‘Tourists to pilgrims’

4. Ratings Very poor – locked, no indication of when or if open Poor – open at least sometimes but no, or little effort made to welcome visitors Okay – open but nothing to say it is. Guide book but little else. What does church feel like and look like to a visitor? Good – some thought and effort to welcome visitors. Information about Christian faith. Prayer board and or votive stand. Some interpretation of building. Very Good- decent guide books. Something aimed at children. Signs that say open & welcome visitors. Material about Christian faith. Pictures of people – living church. Prayer provision – taken seriously. Excellent – a lot of effort given to visitors. All of above but done very well. Perhaps friendly stewards? Mainly bigger churches but not always.

6. Very poor/locked churches - examples

8. Why does churchmanship affect visitor rating? Evangelical churches – sit light to building - music and AV equipment - ministering to congregation / retreated into - often have no idea what I am talking about - less to see/ do – eg. Candles - 'purity' Forward in Faith parishes – beleaqered – major survey Serving Christ means serving others - Church as 'club' – who's church is it? - telling stories - being open to others - exercising hospitality -enabling spiritual encounters – risky as we not in control!

9. Who are our visitors? 1. Church Enthusiasts – small but very active group. Visit lots churches. Needs – good guides, knowledgeable stewards. 2. Geneologists – visit a few places but look in great detail. Needs – burial records, churchyard plans (always well thumbed). Some areas get lots of these eg Cotswolds, Cornwall ? 3. Curious/ Casual visitors – big group. See church open & go in. Probably not sure what they are looking at + for. Impressions & atmosphere count for much for this group. Needs – good welcome, interpretation, history, stories, mementoes. Can be very important if near a tourist attraction. Lots of potential. 4. Locals – by far biggest group. Won’t write in visitors book – why should they? ‘It’s our church’. Needs – welcoming place. Somewhere to leave prayers & light candles of similar. Space to be quiet & reflect & pray – materials to help with this.

10. Excellent Churches St. Michael with St. Mary, Melbourne, Derbys

11. Excellent churches St. Catherine’s, Ludham, Norfolk

12. ' A church that lives to itself will die to itself' John Pritchard