Introduction to the Chapel in the Fields
Imagine there was a place called The Chapel in the Fields, a place of creativity, spirituality, hospitality, worship and a resource to the wider church.
Close to urban south Manchester, Sinderland Green Methodist Chapel is a small church in the countryside which has undergone significant refurbishment in 2016. The result is 'space' that embraces the heritage of the building and brings out the best of the Chapel, its beauty and simplicity. In addition, the countryside surrounding the Chapel offers a real sense of peace.
The Chapel in the Fields offers a safe space to church and non-church people alike and has become a safe place for Quiet Days, retreats, and a venue for visiting groups. Since the refurbishment we have welcomed people from a wide area to come and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
The refurbished Chapel also has a wood workshop where beautiful things are being made for sale. We also reach out to folk who have been referred to us to come and enjoy some time of making and creating, over a sense of well-being and therapeutic activity
The project is sponsored by the Manchester and Stockport Methodist District, and networks are being built with other Churches across the Northwest and HeartEdge.
We have the capacity through the chapel as a resource and a base to reach very large numbers of people and we intend to monitor carefully not just the numbers of people we touch but the effect we have on their spiritual lives. We believe that we can create a model for use of rural chapels and of practice in using creativity to support spiritual formation which could be replicated elsewhere in the country.
