Searching for the 'sacred spaces' in communities

The local parenting class, town council meeting, or city allotment may not seem like they have much to do with church, but one vicar is encouraging Christians to see the sacred in the ordinary places.

Llandaff Diocesan Missioner, the Rev Val Hamer, has just launched the Seven Sacred Spaces project at the diocesan conference at Llandaff Cathedral on Saturday.

The project is asking parishioners to look beyond the church and seek out "seven sacred spaces" that bring life to the whole community and help it thrive.

Once these spaces have been identified, the local church is being encouraged to get behind them and offer their support.

The project launch was joined by BBC newsreader, Lucy Owen, who interviewed parishioners from Port Talbot about their involvement in Michael Sheen’s Passion play last Easter.

The inspiration behind the project is the monastic way of life from centuries ago.

Rev Hamer said, “Monastic experience shows that for a community to flourish, it needs to include seven key areas – the cell, cloister, chapter, chapel, garden, refectory and scriptorium. While we may have lost touch with those titles today, the areas still exist and are just as important for our lives today."

The cell today, she explained, is a quiet place for personal reflection or prayer, the home perhaps. The cloister is where people can meet with friends or strangers, something like a dance class or kids' cafe.

The chapter is where people can consult together and make decisions, such as the local council or family confab around the kitchen table.

The chapel is where Christians worship together, while the garden is a place of creative cooperative work, and the refectory a place to eat together and offer hospitality.

Finishing it all off is the scriptorium, a place of learning or study, such as a school or evening class.

“This project explores the idea that every community needs all these seven areas in order to flourish," Rev Hamer said.

"Not every person will be involved in each area, and not everyone involved will be a person of faith, but much work is being done in our communities that is life-giving and community enhancing, and should be celebrated, supported and nurtured.”

Examples of sacred spaces in the community are included in a new DVD she hopes will inspire other Christians to see the sacred spaces beyond the walls of the church and how they can help these to flourish.

The examples include the Gigabytes e-cafe in Bargoed, which provides space for teenagers, the St Caths Plus Project with older people in Pontypridd, the Vision Products factory in Llantrissant, which provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and St Peter’s Community Garden, Fairwater, Cardiff, developed by volunteers and young offenders.