Discover Churches: A Toolkit for Welcoming Visitors

Welcome to Discover Churches, a resource designed to help volunteers extend a warm and meaningful welcome to visitors exploring church heritage, art, and community. 

The guide aims to encourage curiosity about new ways of attracting visitors, inspiring and sharing knowledge, values and experiences. You play a key role in making each visitor experience memorable, whether they come for a moment of quiet reflection, to admire the architecture, or simply to enjoy a slice of cake. This guide will equip you with everything you need to know to make visitors feel at home.

Whether you are just starting to opening your church, chapel or meeting house to visitors or have years of experience doing so, you are invited to dip in and out of this guide. We hope to enable and support everyone involved with welcoming visitors to respond to the needs of those visitors and also the church, it’s volunteers and community. We aim to encourage curiosity about finding engaging new ways of attracting visitors, inspiring and sharing knowledge, values and experiences.

Churches need a lot more people to care a whole lot more. One way is to share your church as a place of fascination, awe, a deep sense of peace or solace for the present by welcoming visitors. It also shows how much you care about safeguarding the heritage of your church for the future.

The National Churches Trust was a key partner in the project which developed this toolkit, and has agreed to host this toolkit alongside our other tourism advice for churches. This is the first draft, and we welcome feedback, additions and case studies. Please email our Engagement Manager at sarah.crossland@nationalchurchestrust.org

Welcoming visitors

As a volunteer, you will be the face of the church for many visitors. You are not just a guide; you are a storyteller, a host, and a representative of the church's rich history and vibrant community. Your role is to make sure that every visitor, regardless of their reason for visiting, feels welcome and leaves with a sense of connection to the church.

• Art and history enthusiasts: These visitors may be interested in specific architectural features or historical artifacts. Be prepared to provide detailed insights into the church’s history, pointing out features like ancient carvings, murals, or the story behind the building’s construction.
• Spiritual seekers: Some visitors may come seeking a spiritual experience. Create an environment where they feel comfortable to reflect, pray, or light a candle. Offer to answer any questions they may have about the church’s faith traditions.
• Families and children: Encourage families to explore the church’s spaces in a way that’s engaging for children, pointing out interesting visual details or sharing stories about the church’s history that might capture their imagination.
• Casual visitors: Some people may drop in for a moment of peace, to attend a community event, or simply to enjoy a cup of coffee and cake. Ensure they feel welcome and know what’s available to explore without overwhelming them with too much information.

Top tips for improving the visitor experience

• Know your church: Familiarise yourself with the history, key features, and any upcoming events. This will help you answer questions and provide engaging conversations.
• Be approachable: Not every visitor will want to chat, but by being open and approachable, you ensure they know you’re available if they need help or have questions.
• Create a comfortable atmosphere: Encourage visitors to take their time exploring, sitting down, or enjoying refreshments. A relaxed environment makes everyone feel more welcome.
• Invite them back: Let visitors know about any upcoming events or services they may be interested in. A kind invitation to return can leave a lasting impression.

The guide has been written and collated as part of the Discover Churches project in Herefordshire and Shropshire. 

The National Churches Trust was a key partner in this project, and has agreed to host this toolkit alongside our other tourism advice for churches. This is the first draft, and we welcome feedback, additions and case studies. Please email our Engagement Manager at sarah.crossland@nationalchurchestrust.org

The project was led by Herefordshire Churches Tourism Group, working with partners, the project team, and volunteers across the two counties:

• To explore sustainable and commercially viable activities that will help give historic church buildings an opportunity to secure their financial sustainability and safeguard the buildings impressive heritage.
• To show how tourism interventions can help support church buildings by helping to raise the capacity, resilience, and sustainability of churches to attract additional income through offering engaging church involvement for day, or short stay visitors in the area.

This guide can be used by all places of worship, but uses the word ‘church’ throughout to keep the language simple. Please see the last page of the guide for a list of those involved putting together this guide.