Edifice complex?

The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search

a healthy church...transformingLIFE

Home About Contact us News Issues Parishes Prayer Calendar Youth Resources

October 2006

Edifice complex?

The Anglican Church in Tasmania is blessed - or cursed, depending on your point of view - with many historic church buildings. They are expensive to repair, difficult to heat, unsuitable for contemporary worship, have quaint but uncomfortable seating and are only filled for funerals.

Some of the people who are most vocal about preserving them seem to have no interest in regularly attending services, or financially supporting the parish.

On the other hand, many of these buildings are also beautiful, peaceful oases that are filled with symbols pointing to Jesus. They are central to many Tasmanian townscapes and provide a community focus and attract visitors and tourists.

As a diocese, we have not yet developed a theology of historic church buildings.

In the meantime, every year a quarter of a million visitors pass through Sorell, Richmond and Port Arthur. St Luke's Richmond, thanks to local volunteers from the village, and St David's Port Arthur, thanks to the Authority's team guides, are open to the public every day. So as a first step our parish has started producing a series of free pamphlets for visitors. They are currently just photocopied folded A4 sheets, which pick up themes relevant to the church and develop them in a 'Jesus-ward' direction.

The St David's pamphlet picks up on the themes of brutality and violence that confront visitors to the Port Arthur Historic Site, with prayers and meditations about the peace and love of Christ. For St Luke's, the pamphlets pick up on the richness of our Christian heritage.

The 'Four Precious Prayers' features old prayers that illustrate the four main categories: adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. 'Four Beautiful Sonnets' speaks for itself, featuring Milton, Hopkins, Donne and Herbert.

'The Jesus Code' pamphlet helps the visitor to interpret the symbols and unlock the meaning of the stained glass pictures in the big East Window. We have just received a grant of $2800 from the Diocesan New Ministries Fund to expand this ministry, with a range of colour-printed booklets.

Please contact Andrew Lake if you want more information. Andrew is Rector of Sorell, Richmond and Tasman.

St Luke's, Richmond

Some of the free pamphlets offered to visitors to Anglican churches at Richmond and Port Arthur.

	The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search
	a healthy church...transformingLIFE
	Home About Contact us News Issues Parishes Prayer Calendar Youth Resources

				October 2006

		Edifice complex? The Anglican Church in Tasmania is blessed - or cursed, depending on your point of view - with many historic church buildings. They are expensive to repair, difficult to heat, unsuitable for contemporary worship, have quaint but uncomfortable seating and are only filled for funerals. Some of the people who are most vocal about preserving them seem to have no interest in regularly attending services, or financially supporting the parish. On the other hand, many of these buildings are also beautiful, peaceful oases that are filled with symbols pointing to Jesus. They are central to many Tasmanian townscapes and provide a community focus and attract visitors and tourists. As a diocese, we have not yet developed a theology of historic church buildings. In the meantime, every year a quarter of a million visitors pass through Sorell, Richmond and Port Arthur. St Luke's Richmond, thanks to local volunteers from the village, and St David's Port Arthur, thanks to the Authority's team guides, are open to the public every day. So as a first step our parish has started producing a series of free pamphlets for visitors. They are currently just photocopied folded A4 sheets, which pick up themes relevant to the church and develop them in a 'Jesus-ward' direction. The St David's pamphlet picks up on the themes of brutality and violence that confront visitors to the Port Arthur Historic Site, with prayers and meditations about the peace and love of Christ. For St Luke's, the pamphlets pick up on the richness of our Christian heritage. The 'Four Precious Prayers' features old prayers that illustrate the four main categories: adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. 'Four Beautiful Sonnets' speaks for itself, featuring Milton, Hopkins, Donne and Herbert. 'The Jesus Code' pamphlet helps the visitor to interpret the symbols and unlock the meaning of the stained glass pictures in the big East Window. We have just received a grant of $2800 from the Diocesan New Ministries Fund to expand this ministry, with a range of colour-printed booklets. Please contact Andrew Lake if you want more information. Andrew is Rector of Sorell, Richmond and Tasman.		St Luke's, Richmond Some of the free pamphlets offered to visitors to Anglican churches at Richmond and Port Arthur.