using churches for tourism jo hibbard methodist heritage officer 1c100u / 25 march 2011

Using churches for tourismJo Hibbard

Methodist Heritage Officer

1C100U / 25 March 2011

Methodist Heritage & Contemporary Mission

• Approved by the Methodist Conference in 2008

• Recognised potential for mission of Church’s heritage

• But agreed poorly co-ordinated, under exploited and without necessary resources

Telling the story of the people called Methodists

Over 100 places to visit …Family homes, unique outdoor preaching places, beautifully-restored chapels linked to the life of John Wesley and his legacy of the Methodist movement…

… and that’s without most of our hundreds of

historic chapels: c550 are listed

Travel trade show launch in March 2010:

Online from

March 2011:

www.methodistheritage.org.uk

Methodist Heritage Handbook

Our Calling – as a model for Methodist Heritage

The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out

its discipleship in worship and mission.

Worship – work is rooted in worship

Learn & Care – stewards of a rich heritage, responsible for its care, but also custodians and tellers of its story

Service –heritage can help us to engage with our communities and neighbours

Evangelism – our heritage is a tool to speak about God’s love in Christ

Telling a good story –the good newsJohn 20: 30 & 31

 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Telling your Good News story1. The local story – invite others

(including in your wider community) to share ‘memories’

2. YOUR story ‘then’ – seek out oral histories, experts, records

3. Your story ‘now’ – similarities?

4. The Methodist story – when and why did the Church engage in this ministry or teach this theology?

5. The Gospel story – why we do, what we do!

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The Old Rectory, Epworth

Wesley’s Chapel, House & Museum, London

The New Room, Bristol

Englesea Brook Chapel & Museum, Crewe

Four ‘key’ heritage

sitesand two ‘Connexional

archives’

Building from the bottom upAn ‘upside-down wedding cake’ model for

developing Methodist Heritage

Key site EOR

Key site WChpl

Key site EBC&M

Key site NRB

Conn’xl Archives

’Second tier’ Methodist Heritage sites and regional groupings of wider Connexional significance

And District Archives Network

Historic chapels (c550 listed), church collections, church/circuit/private archives

The New Room & Charles Wesley’s House, Bristol – tourist attractions with discipleship potential

The New Room •First ever Methodist building •Multipurpose from start•Engaging today with civic and community life •A city centre pastoral ministry•A new green space in shopping centre coming soon

Charles Wesley’s family home

•18thC town house nearby

•Aim to focus on the heritage of our hymnody

•Developing educational programme

2nd tier: Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Chapel, near Dorchester – making friends and having influence• Nationally famous and

internationally significant story in development of trade unionism

• “Martyrs” mostly Methodists and local preachers

• New Friends Development Group aiming for ‘new’ chapel to become part of village attractions: ‘old’?

• Developing displays that explore complementary stories to TUC Museum

• Linked in; being relevant to 21stC

What about our historic chapels: 550 are ‘listed’?

• Can… get involved: Methodist Heritage Sites’ NetworkAnnual meeting – 25 February 2012 At Englesea Brook Chapel & Museum of Primitive Methodism, near Crewe

• Keep in touch: Heritage News

• Tell your story onlineNext phase (2012) of new Methodist Heritage website; in collaboration with Connexional Property Team

North Shore Methodist Church, Blackpool –opening the doors and telling their story

8 – 11 September 2011www.heritageopendays.org.uk

The Churches Tourism The Churches Tourism AssociationAssociation

The UK's leading body for promoting best practice in welcoming visitors to places of worship and developing the tourism

www.churchestourismassociation.info

Contact Jo HibbardMethodist Heritage Officer

Methodist HeritageMethodist Church House25 Marylebone RoadLondon NW1 5JR

E: hibbardj@methodistchurch.org.uk

T: 020 7467 5257

www.methodistheritage.org.uk