Community Meeting - The Future of Christ Church, Helme

Name: Community Meeting - The Future of Christ Church, Helme
Start: 2025-09-18T18:30:00+01:00
Location: Helme Church

Schedule

Thu, 18 Sep, 2025 at 06:30 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

Helme Church | Huddersfield, EN

We would like to invite all those who care about Christ Church Helme to a community meeting on the 18th of September at 6:30pm to discuss the future of our church building.
As many of you know, we have recently had to make the difficult decision to suspend regular Sunday morning services at Helme. This has not been done lightly but reflects the challenges we face: a congregation regularly under 10 people, with no churchwardens for several years, and the growing costs for maintaining the building.
Christ Church Helme is not yet scheduled for formal closure however. The building remains open for weddings, funerals, school events and occasional services. The churchyard continues to be and will remain accessible for visiting loved ones or quiet reflection.
However, we must be honest about the challenges we face. A church is more than just a building - it is a community of faith serving its parish. We need to find sustainable ways for this beautiful church to continue serving its community.
This meeting is an opportunity for everyone - regular worshippers, occasional visitors, and the wider community - to come together, share ideas, and explore possible futures for Christ Church Helme. If the church is to continue as a place of worship, we will need more people to attend services regularly and to step forward into volunteer roles. We may need to consider alternative community uses for the building or potentially accept that its current form is no longer sustainable for our community.
If, despite our best efforts, we eventually need to consider formal closure, this would involve a lengthy statutory process with full public consultation under the Mission and Pastoral Measure. But our hope is that, together, we might find a way forward.
Please join us as we consider how best to secure the future of this cherished place.
Reverend John Dracup
(Vicar of the parish of Christ the King, Meltham)