A church which opens every day as a community shop is one of three churches in the Diocese of St Asaph to be a finalist in the National Churches Trust Awards.

St Paul’s in Rhosesmor opened The Outpost in October 2021. It is run by almost 40 volunteers and has become “the beating heart of the community” says one of the church wardens Lynn Fearnhead in this film: https://youtu.be/G6ZKDm2vA1A

The other two churches are St Deiniol & St Marcella in Marchwiel and St Saeran in Llanynys near Ruthin. All three will find out if they have won their categories on Monday 24 October at an award ceremony in London.

Each church is nominated in a different category and the winner of each award is eligible for the title Church of the Year.

St Paul’s in Rhosesmor is a finalist in the Church Volunteer Awards. In their submission they said:

The nearest shop is three miles away and public transport is limited. The shop and coffee area, called The Outpost, has become much more than a shop. The 37 volunteers themselves have become a mutually supportive community, where ideas thrive. The Outpost supports local suppliers and the shop has grown into a centre in the village, with a book club, a jigsaw swop, a veg and plant swop, contributions to the community garden, an annual scarecrow competition. In short from The Outpost radiates the connections in the village.

You can find out more about The Outpost in this film: https://youtu.be/G6ZKDm2vA1A

St Saeran in Llanynys is a finalist in the Church Tourism Awards. In its submission, the church was asked “why is being open important to you?” In response they said:

If we’re not open how could people come in? Churches are there to be sanctuary and a safe space for anyone and everyone whenever they come in whatever frame of mind.

The truth we have had to face in Llanynys is that the future of the church building lies outside of Sunday Worship and so we are reimagining what this can be that remains true to its 1,500-year-old foundation as a place of spiritual nurturing and nourishments. The church itself is in the middle of nowhere with no population surrounding it. However, we are surrounded by some of the most picturesque countryside in Wales with many small and hidden footpaths just waiting to be discovered. The church is never closed.

You can find out more about the pilgrimage plans at Llanynys and its neighbouring churches in this article:Pilgrimage for Preservation (PDF)

St Deiniol & St Marcella in Marchwiel near Wrexham is a finalist in the Church Maintenance Awards. The wardens were asked to respond to the question: “what the best thing is about being involved in church maintenance.” They said:

For the wardens it is difficult to identify the best thing because at times it is hard work trying to remain positive about the future of our Christian places of worship, especially when you feel passionate about maintaining standards and being caretakers for such a valuable asset in the community. For me personally it is the joy of finally seeing a particular project complete and well done and knowing that this will contribute to the continued survival of our Christian place of worship for future generations.

The awards ceremony at Mercers Hall in the City of London will be live-streamed and you can find further information at https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/impact/awards/finalists-2022

The Diocese of St Asaph is one of the six dioceses making up the Church in Wales. St Asaph is made up of 20 Mission Areas which are a group of churches working together to better serve their local communities.