This building is even more impressive than the music”. “It’s great to see the church used for a community event”.
These were just some of the comments I heard at the recent music festival in All Saints Church in Wokingham.
Five concerts over two weeks celebrated a range of musical genres.
Wokingham Choral Society opened the festival in style with their summer concert; and the fortnight ended in the church buzzing to What the Floyd! playing the music of Pink Floyd with spectacular light show.
Along the way there was Karl Jenkins’ modern choral piece The Armed Man. It was stunningly performed by local children and adults from the church choir, singing alongside professional musicians.
More and more church buildings across the country are being opened up for all kinds of uses in addition to the traditional services we associate with them.
Recently I heard of a church in Nottingham that had welcomed a local wrestling club to use its space on Saturday nights!
This isn’t a church which has closed.
We’ve all heard of church buildings sadly being abandoned and sold off as carpet warehouses or converted to residential use.
But that church in Nottingham, and others like it, are living church communities offering a welcome for local people to make the most of their precious spaces.
Jesus Christ said that he came to bring us life in all its fullness.
Churches are opening their doors to share that vision.
To steal a well-known catchphrase: a church is for life not only for Sunday!
The Revd Canon David Hodgson, Rector of Wokingham All Saints, on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham
