The first nationwide survey of all the churches, chapels and meeting houses in the UK, was last Monday. The National Churches Trust Survey 2010 includes buildings of every Christian denomination, of all ages and conditions, and aims to understand how they are maintained, repaired, funded and used by their local communities. The survey hopes to create a national picture of the current status of places of worship. It will remain online until mid-June. All churches, chapels and meeting houses in the UK are being encouraged to complete the survey which offers guidance, tips and technical support to help participants. Andrew Edwards, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said: ‘A single, national survey will make a considerable difference to our understanding of church buildings across the UK. These buildings are important, not just as places of worship but also as centres of local life. This survey is seeking to capture the contribution they make to our heritage and our communities’.
Pray: for this survey that it will allow the people of the Church to better care for and use the physical buildings that we use as places of worship. (1Ch.28:10)