Non christians and churches. What do you like about them please. ?

[lightand]

Our church[not Church of England] is a rather bland converted building.

We have opened it up[pre covid] on a weekday, and is open to all. We would like to encourage non Christians especially to wander in. Sit? Browse? Think? Pray.

What would you like, or like to think, was in the Church for you? What would you find helpful/useful.

Thanks.

As a Pagan, I would only access a church for historical reason and family tree purposes.

I feel largely the same as FedNlanders about visiting churches and am drawn to the energy of old church buildings which were often built on sites of pagan significance anyway.

Our local Methodist church holds "messy play" days in school holidays the one at Easter works great as weather still a little unpredictable the flock are welcoming and the vicar(?) did a child friendly "service" about Jesus's sacrifice which was fine.

I am not religious in a follow a book way but we live in a Christian society and think it important children are introduced to everything so I don't mind taking them from time to time.

Another church has a "Christmas tree competition" so local companies, charities, schools etc decorate a tree and they are displayed in the church most of December, I think there might be a voucher prize (small) for winning entry, but loads of people wonder around that.

Get local school choirs/bands to give variety performances.

Could do a bring your pet nativity service or Noah one.

Would like to add most of the trees decorated are small artificial ones not huge Nordmann firs!

Could you get people to "make" or knit a cloth square of the local area, Christian stories etc and start joining them together as a town quilt wall banner that grows as more are added.

If you want more men, particularly older perhaps widowed men whom don't know where to turn you might be able to get a projector from someone and hold a movie afternoon once a month, my birth village does this, tickets £2.50 but that includes a half time cup of tea and biscuit and chat. The film's aren't new, so out of copyright (?) Things like Burt Lancaster that sort of era.

I am an atheist. I like going into cathedrals though, mostly because they have beautiful architecture and a sense of peace. I do it like it when someone talks to me. So I like the art and the architecture, hate the religion.

I get the same feel from a big train station to be honest.

But if I knew someone was going to talk to me about religion then I wouldn't go in. I realise that I'm the one going into a religious space but I just want to be left alone to look at the arches really.

In terms of community halls, I've been made to feel incredibly unwelcome in our local one. Waiting in the main hall for primary 1 rugby in a smaller hall, we parents were fitted and and rudely told to move by people setting out tables. Didn't ask nicely just immediately rude and made us all feel like huge inconveniences.

I've ended up at a Saturday morning coffee morning before as DD had a martial art class in the small hall. Sat down with son and plate of cake and immediately pounced on by people demanding to know why I didn't go to church. Fuck offfffff, it shouldn't have been a church exclusive event, I paid my £5 for coffee, juice and cake. Didn't want interrogation too.