Use of Property & Ceasing to Meet

The purpose of our buildings

Discerning what to do with church premises where the congregation has ended well/ ceased to meet or have recognised that their building is not suitable for their current needs, can be challenging, sometimes even overwhelming.

OUR ENDING WELL VISION is that

• Where it is necessary and appropriate for work to end, it ends well and enables re-creation
• When a church in its current form appears to be coming to an end and the congregation discern that it is time to end well, this will be recognised as a natural part of the ecosystem of a Connexional church and not a failure.
• Chapel premises which have previously been used by congregations which are Ending Well will always be thoroughly evaluated to discern their future based on their missional, community and financial potential. The downloadable document on this page has been written to help you shape a good local discernment process.

There are many examples of former chapel premises, or parts of premises, across our district which have discovered new missional purposes for example as pilgrim accommodation, soft play centres, climbing wall, venues for charities, manses.

If you are wondering what to do with a building, contact our Missional Property Enabler as soon as possible mpe@sheffieldmethodist.org