The New Church Sign, the Church and our Community
By the time you read this article I expect that almost everybody will have seen our new Church Sign and there will be diverse opinions about its looks and suitability.
In common with many ancient villages, in Shalbourne we have a long tradition of the church being part of the community and at the PCC it’s a theme which we’ve recently taken up. With society increasingly driven by widely different values, for the church to be relevant it does have to move with the times.
In Shalbourne we have a loyal but small regular congregation. Wind the clock forwards 20 years and what will the Shalbourne church be like then and is this important?
I think that the church can add much to enrich our community – through the Car Show and other things there is entertainment; through charity giving and support of community causes there is financial provision; by helping in the school and running the Sunday Club the church hopes positively to influence our youngsters.
There are also other ideas in the pipeline, but all those forces for good will only exist if the church exists, and for that to be assured we inevitably have look forwards and direct attention, in particular, to younger people. If we fail to look forwards, the church will have no attraction, it might die and our community would be poorer as a consequence.
Now to the new sign. The design concept was to be forward-looking. The lettering is a special font designed for the Church of England – clean and new but with a hint of the Celtic. The vibrant blue colour represents youth, newness and cleanliness as well as being optimistic. Built using traditional material by our magnificent local craftsmen, it has supported local businesses.
The sign points to our church and says IN SHALBOURNE WE ARE PROUD OF THE NEW LIFE WHICH ABOUNDS within OUR church and we are proud of its future potential. The sign shows the church as a central element within Shalbourne and indicates how the church must continue to evolve. If we look backwards, our church in Shalbourne might die and we could see another sign outside saying ‘DO NOT ENTER – DERELICT BUILDING’. What a disaster that would be for our community and what legacy would we have left for our ancestors (the church stood for 800-odd years and then crumbled, while we watched, in 2030…)?
I recognise that personal taste is a very moveable feast. However, to those who do not like the look of the sign, I would ask them to look beyond the personal taste and try to focus on what the new sign was designed to represent.
I’m not saying that without this sign the church will definitely fade away and the building will fall down. However, I still maintain that the sign is part of the overall jigsaw of a forward looking church which will not just be a positive attribute but a vital element of our community into the next 50 years.
Please let us know what you think through the 'Contact us' page or by dropping a note into the church (in the box on the table by the door). I promise that I will read all of your opinions and we’ll discuss it within the PCC. If required, we could hold an open meeting so that all views will be heard, and if our community requires us to act upon those views, I assure you that we will certainly do so.
Thank you.
Richard Barker, Churchwarden