First Grant Awarded for “The Art of Welcome” to Celebrate Inclusivity and Christian Hospitality

First Grant Awarded for The Art of Welcome to Celebrate Inclusivity and Christian Hospitality

Manor Church and Community Project in Sheffield are the first church to award a £500 grant through The Art of Welcome project.

Manor Church and Community Project (MCCP) is an ecumenical project – Methodist, URC and Anglican and are planning to create a mosaic for the outside of the Temple Park Centre on Harborough Avenue to show that it’s a welcoming space for all.

The mosaic will be made up of individual pieces which will depict personal struggles and hope for the future. Creative sessions and workshops will be held to so people can help create the mosaic.

Once the artwork is complete there will be an art exhibition at the church for visitors to enjoy.

Lisa Wigfield, Community Cohesion and Outreach Worker MCCP, said: “The Art of Welcome is offering us a great opportunity to connect with our local community. Our church building is busy during the week and through conversation with some of our visitors, we know that they don’t always feel welcome or are overlooked in some areas of the city. We want to be a place where everyone feels welcome and safe and this project gives us a chance to reach more people than before. The creative sessions and workshops will offer something for everyone, we will make some calm and relaxing, some will be structured and unstructured, some will be age specific or multi-generational and will encourage everyone to answer the question, ‘What makes you feel welcome’.”

The Art of welcome is a district led project which is encouraging congregations, families, schools, and community groups to take part, alongside participating churches, by creating visual pieces such as paintings, drawings, photography, textiles or digital art that reflects what it means to be welcomed and valued.

The district is offering £500 grants to churches to support this project which can be used for materials, hosting art classes, or anything which encourages local people to get involved.

District Chair Vicky Atkins said, “We are delighted to award our first district grant for The Art of Welcome. Our aim is to show that our churches are places where everyone belongs, and where creativity can help us express God’s love in new and meaningful ways.”

Participants can submit their artwork through their local Methodist church or via the district website.

As artwork is completed, churches across the district will display contributions in foyers, worship spaces, community rooms, and popâ€'up exhibitions. The district will also curate an online gallery, making it easy for people to explore pieces from across the region.

For more information, visit www.sheffieldmethodist.org/theartofwelcome or contact TheArtofWelcome@sheffieldmethodist.org