Post by Poundbury on Feb 14, 2006 18:39:48 GMT 1
In the Dorset Echo -
`Religious space' plan in Poundbury
From the archive, first published Monday 13th Feb 2006.
CHURCH leaders in Dorchester have revealed ambitious plans to create a place of worship in Poundbury.
The Duchy of Cornwall has offered the parish a piece of land to create a `visible' presence in the estate.
Now members of the church are looking at the possibility of creating a garden where people can go for some quiet reflection together with a small chapel or oratory where small groups of people can gather for prayer.
However, they have already ruled out the possibility of a new church building on the development, which they say would have to compete with existing churches for a "declining band of Sunday worshippers".
The plans for Poundbury are revealed by the Rev Philip Lambert, rector of Dorchester, in the latest edition of the Dorchester Parish Magazine.
He said: "Dorchester provides in its churches many varied buildings and Christian activity. It would only be too easy to repeat one or all of those formulas or simply to create a mixture of them all, and by so doing provide on Poundbury something for those who are already involved at some level in the Christian church.
"However, this is an opportunity to try something new which is offered to those inside and outside the present church geographical and social boundaries.
"Poundbury presents the church in Dorchester with a challenge to face the situation in a new way."
Mr Lambert said one of the possibilities for Poundbury was to create a garden with a series of rooms in which people can `rest, find focus and be stirred to deeper levels'. He said: "It would be offered as a space for all, of any religion or none. These rooms in this garden would include sections which emphasised scent for the visually impaired or some privacy for private meditation."
He said that it was hoped to build an oratory at the centre of the garden where worshippers could gather for prayer. And it was hoped that a lay community would be formed to look after the garden.
Land backing on to the garden wall of Poundbury Farm has been offered to the parish. Members are hoping to lease the land, and say if the scheme fails they would just be able to walk away.
Poundbury already has a dedicated man of the cloth in the form of the Rev Geoff Turnock who has welcomed plans for a special area for the church.
The parish magazine says that attempts by Mr Turnock to make himself available to the community have met little response so far - he said, because people did not like approaching private houses.
He said he liked the idea of the dedicated area where a priest could be available at known hours for people to chat with, or at other times stop for prayers. Mr Turnock hopes to see something started before he retires in two years' time.
Archive Home
From the archive
www.thisisdorset.net
© Newsquest Media Group 2006
`Religious space' plan in Poundbury
From the archive, first published Monday 13th Feb 2006.
CHURCH leaders in Dorchester have revealed ambitious plans to create a place of worship in Poundbury.
The Duchy of Cornwall has offered the parish a piece of land to create a `visible' presence in the estate.
Now members of the church are looking at the possibility of creating a garden where people can go for some quiet reflection together with a small chapel or oratory where small groups of people can gather for prayer.
However, they have already ruled out the possibility of a new church building on the development, which they say would have to compete with existing churches for a "declining band of Sunday worshippers".
The plans for Poundbury are revealed by the Rev Philip Lambert, rector of Dorchester, in the latest edition of the Dorchester Parish Magazine.
He said: "Dorchester provides in its churches many varied buildings and Christian activity. It would only be too easy to repeat one or all of those formulas or simply to create a mixture of them all, and by so doing provide on Poundbury something for those who are already involved at some level in the Christian church.
"However, this is an opportunity to try something new which is offered to those inside and outside the present church geographical and social boundaries.
"Poundbury presents the church in Dorchester with a challenge to face the situation in a new way."
Mr Lambert said one of the possibilities for Poundbury was to create a garden with a series of rooms in which people can `rest, find focus and be stirred to deeper levels'. He said: "It would be offered as a space for all, of any religion or none. These rooms in this garden would include sections which emphasised scent for the visually impaired or some privacy for private meditation."
He said that it was hoped to build an oratory at the centre of the garden where worshippers could gather for prayer. And it was hoped that a lay community would be formed to look after the garden.
Land backing on to the garden wall of Poundbury Farm has been offered to the parish. Members are hoping to lease the land, and say if the scheme fails they would just be able to walk away.
Poundbury already has a dedicated man of the cloth in the form of the Rev Geoff Turnock who has welcomed plans for a special area for the church.
The parish magazine says that attempts by Mr Turnock to make himself available to the community have met little response so far - he said, because people did not like approaching private houses.
He said he liked the idea of the dedicated area where a priest could be available at known hours for people to chat with, or at other times stop for prayers. Mr Turnock hopes to see something started before he retires in two years' time.
Archive Home
From the archive
www.thisisdorset.net
© Newsquest Media Group 2006
