Strategic planning for church buildings

Church buildings are a big part of how we carry out our mission and worship. Every parish has at least one church and they form the heart of many communities.

Dioceses need to integrate thinking about their church buildings with their mission and ministry planning so that their possibilities and challenges are part of a growth strategy.

We can help you with your diocesan strategic review of church buildings.
Church spire in distance, with trees and buildings Diocese of Winchester

Regular diocesan strategic reviews are important for making sure that building issues are given their proper weight – neither dominating nor being overlooked or seen as a specialist subject. They take account of:

  • Diocesan plans
  • Deanery plans
  • Mission action plans
  • And parish audits

Download our template or see our main recommendations below.

What are our church buildings for?

The strategic review process involves defining the roles of our church buildings more clearly.

We recommend that dioceses work with deaneries to place all churches within one of these categories.

The roles can change as circumstances change. And the overall aim is for our church buildings to be open and sustainable.

Parish churches
Chapels-of-ease
Festival churches
Resourcing churches
Major parish churches
Minsters
Patron

Person or corporate body with the right to nominate to the diocesan bishop a priest to be instituted as incumbent of a parish when there is a vacancy.