Buildings Forum Conferences
Since April 2021, the Buildngs Forum has met regularly, using online conferences as a way of sharing our work.
These well-attended events create a network of sharing and support and are an invaluable way of illustrating that none of us are alone on these journeys.
Details of upcoming conferences can be found below. Also available, are the recordings of previous meetings; these provide an invaluable resource as well as showcase the work of the Forum.
If you would like to be placed on a contact list please email us at [email protected]
Upcoming Webinar News
Buildings for Mission Forum: Webinar Tuesday 12 November 11.30 – 1pm
Transforming your church building and its land: a close-up of one URC, a wide view of others
We will hear from a URC minister who has worked with her church through a major vision-led redevelopment, and from a Synod Green Advocate on some creative ways in which church land is being used for mission.
To register or to find out more, email: [email protected]
Recordings of Previous Meetings
21 May 2024
‘Living Stones for a Living Church’ Part One
Recording of part one of the Living Stones for a Living Church webinars with the Revd Dr John Bradbury as the keynote speaker looking at how we may best use our buildings as assets for mission and ministry, particularly within the context of the Church Life Review and its outworking.
04 June 2024
‘Living Stones for a Living Church’ Part Two
A complementary and more pragmatically focussed session with presentations from North Western Synod on their strategy ‘A Church with People at the Margins: A Strategy for Mission and Ministry’ and Beki Winter, Housing Enabler with Housing Justice, who explained how churches use their buildings and land to develop affordable housing projects. There were also examples of a number of local churches already on that journey aimed at stimulating debate and encouraging other synods and local churches.
26 September 2023
‘Working Towards Net Zero’
Recording of the ‘Working Towards Net Zero’ conference from 26 September 2023, which covered the latest news and updates from the URC’s Net Zero Task Group.
24 May 2023
Our Buildings in Community The Conference explored the various ways in which we use our buildings to reach out to our communities. We were joined by Roo Stewart (programme officer for Church and Society; JPIT), Aftab Mughal (from the Community Harmony Project, Blackburn, in NW Synod and a member of Mission Committee) and Anne Sardeson (minister for Southminster URC in Eastern Synod, currently developing a community hub in Southminster URC in partnership with the parish church and local civic and voluntary groups). All three emphasised the unique, faith-driven role of the church in supporting their communities, making us distinct from a secular community centre.
15 November 2022
The conference primarily looked at the experience of two synod moderators with two local church projects.
The coinference included a video from Revd David Coleman, the URC Eco Chaplain in Scotland speaking about the URC’s environment policy.
25 May 2022
‘Living the Life of Jesus’ through our buildings.
The conference was led by Simon Peters in his role as coordinator of the Walking the Way project.
14 October 2021
The conference looked at environmental issues in relation to church buildings.
21 July 2021
The conference focused on the missional aspects of church buildings.
19 April 2021
This was the first of our online conferences, when the General Secretary of the URC gave the keynote address.