A Letter from the Vicar, Revd Charlie Styles on Tuesday 13th October 2026
This past weekend we held two church meetings at Northleach Church. I hope you were able to make one of them, or have heard from others about what we discussed.
Here is a summary of all that was shared, with the next steps.
One year on
After a year in Northleach, I reflected on the journey we’ve been on as we’ve listened to the needs of the community and the hopes and dreams of the church. We began with the Parish Profile (a bit like the vicar’s job advert), then the appreciative enquiry questionnaires last autumn, and then the Everybody Welcome process during 2026.
I summed up what I’ve heard in three points.
1. We are grateful, but not complacent. There is so much to be thankful for in our church and community, and many things we don’t want to lose: our fellowship, our building, and our existing activities and patterns of worship. But we’re also aware that not everything is as we would hope.
2. We are open, but cautious about new ideas. This is not a stuck-in-the-mud church. We’re not reactionary, and we’re not rejecting new styles of worship or new ways of reaching out. But for a variety of reasons there’s some caution about charging full steam ahead. People are very willing to support change if there’s a good reason for it.
3. We have a real desire to grow, in three ways.
First, numbers: we hope more people will join us, enjoy the fellowship and come to know Jesus.
Second, diversity: we want to better reflect the wider community. Northleach may seem a sleepy town, but it is home to people of all ages, stages and backgrounds, and we’d love to grow in the diversity of what we do, including for people of different Christian traditions, especially as we’re the only church in the town.
Third, impact: we want our faith, and all we do, to overflow into the community, for the good of all and the glory of God.
Everybody Welcome
Patsi Rainey and Colin Kelsall led the Everybody Welcome course in January and February, and from March to June six teams took forward the key areas it identified: understanding our community, outreach and events, welcoming church premises, worship and Christian nurture, pastoral care, and a communications strategy for the benefice. The question throughout has been: how can we make sure everybody in this town and the surrounding area feels welcome, and knows that church, and God, is for them?
Mark Tennant fed back the work of the first group, who carried out 73 face-to-face interviews. Over half of those interviewed only come to church occasionally, and nearly a third never do. We heard that people love Northleach for its friendliness, safety and mutual support (the average happiness score was 8.85 out of 10!). They described our church as beautiful, historic, peaceful and welcoming. We also heard some honest concerns, which we want to take seriously.
Our hopes for the future
I laid out our hopes under two headings: ministry activities and physical resources.
Ministry Activities.
We have much that we’re continuing and developing, such as the Saturday Bible Study, Lent courses, Choral Evensong and Global Church Sunday. We’ve also begun new things this past year, including Little Flock, Fireflies, Cotswold Praise, a youth group, enquirers’ courses (321 and Alpha) and community fundraising events. Warm Wednesdays begin later this month. And we’re dreaming and planning for a new afternoon service, weekly Bible studies, Sunday activities for children, and pastoral groups for those facing things like dementia and bereavement.
Physical Resources. We love our building, but not everyone feels welcome in it. It can be cold, some can’t hear, and some are uncomfortable. Some smaller improvements are already under way or complete, including the welcome space, the children’s area, a prayer space in the South Chapel, better disabled access and the refreshments area. Several larger projects need significantly more money, time and energy:
- Church Rooms: two additional toilets, a redecorated accessible toilet, a kitchen moved to the end of the main room, and new easy-clean flooring and efficient heating.
- Audio-Visual in Church: many new speakers throughout the nave, a new sound desk, a high-powered projector at the back, and a double-drop screen in the chancel arch, so that everyone can hear and see.
- North Chapel: currently a cluttered space without clear purpose. We’d like to carpet part of it, add soft seating for conversation, and create a much improved exhibition space.
- A List of Smaller Items: sensitive churchyard lighting that respects the historic space and encourages nature while making it safer and more accessible; better signage; and two new websites, one for the benefice of eight churches and one for Northleach Church, with the history of the building and news of church life.
Questions from the meetings
There was plenty of time for questions and comments, with some great suggestions for welcoming everyone, and some helpful questions about where we go from here.
- Prioritisation. We have a list of the most vital projects, those that best enable the ministry we want to see. For example, the sound system will be done first, followed by the Church Rooms.
- Other Funds. The PCC has money in the bank, much of which must be kept as reserves in case something goes wrong. But the PCC is committed to spending the rest on the mission and ministry of the church over the next few years. We want to be wise and careful, but not to sit on significant funds without a clear purpose. We will also investigate grant-making trusts and other sources.
- Regular Giving. For several years the PCC has run an annual deficit, spending more than we receive. We’re working to close that gap, so we need everyone to keep giving steadily to the ongoing ministry of the church. The Everybody Welcome Fund is separate: a restricted fund to be spent within the next 12 months on the PCC’s planned projects.
- Longer-Term Dreams. There are some other ideas for the long term. For example, the Friends of Northleach Church are raising funds to replace the Lady Chapel roof, including solar film that will give us free electricity. It’s a pilot towards covering the whole church roof, which could lead to new heating throughout the church. This is for the future, beyond the scope of Everybody Welcome.
- The Chairs. Yes, they were identified as limiting our welcome. New seating isn’t in this plan because the PCC is still considering the right solution.
What I’m asking of you
This will take commitment from the whole church family.
- Pray. It’s easy to come up with ideas, and the shopping list could be as long as your arm. Please pray, privately and publicly, perhaps meeting with someone else, that God would guide each of us, and especially the PCC and leaders, in what to move forward and where to spend money.
- Consider how you might serve. Is there a ministry or practical project that excites you, or a ministry you’d like to commit to? We each need to play our part in the future God has for us here. In the coming weeks there will be opportunities to volunteer in different areas.
- Give. This is an unashamed request for funds. The total cost of everything in the Everybody Welcome plan is £100,000. If we raise the full amount, we can make all the changes carefully weighed by the Everybody Welcome teams and the PCC.
For some of us £50 is a big commitment, while others might consider giving £5,000. I’ll be as encouraged by the number of people giving as much as by the total, because every gift is a declaration of commitment to our church, our fellowship and our future together.
There will be further announcements in November. Thank you for reading this long letter, for your ongoing commitment to our church, and for the time I’m sure you’ll spend considering these things.
With love and many blessings,
Charlie
Next Steps
Give Today.
You can give using all the normal channels – make sure you mark your gift ‘Everybody Welcome’. If you have any questions, please talk to Patsi Rainey or Charlie Styles.
You can give securely online today. Please use the reference: EVERYBODY WELCOME