St Laurence's Church:
Stroud Centre for Peace & the Arts (SCPA)
Stroud Centre for Peace & the Arts (SCPA)
"Seeking peace in ourselves and the world through
faith, the arts, ecology and justice"
faith, the arts, ecology and justice"
What are some of the ideas that underpin the SCPA project?
“Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9)
Peace (shalom)
Making peace, in its widest meanings, is at the heart of the mission of St Laurence’s. There are deep roots in the all-encompassing ancient Hebrew concept of shalom (wholeness, including justice and ecological flourishing) and in the teaching and purpose of Jesus, and there is openness to find peace at the heart of other faiths and philosophies. But there is recognition too that to be peacemakers involves work that can be hard as well as deeply satisfying.
The Arts
The arts can provide moments of wonder and glimpses of shalom, and St Laurence’s mission seeks to enable these to the greatest extent possible, from traditional Christian worship (including its music, liturgy and ritual) to spectacular circus events. No artistic genre is out of bounds, but at St Laurence’s, the arts should point beyond the artists to greater things, in the domains of peace, faith, ecology and justice.
Faith
St Laurence’s Church is and will remain a Christian place of worship, yet one where people of all faiths and none should feel welcome. There is an aspiration to find shared experiences of God/the Divine/the transcendent, while seeking to recognise what the Quakers call “that of God in everyone”. There is recognition of the unifying power of silence, and the mystical insight that the deepest experiences of faith go beyond what words can express.
Ecology
Ecology is a way of understanding and appreciating the interconnectedness of all life, including humanity. Judaeo-Christian and other faiths recognise the flourishing of the natural world as fundamental to human flourishing and an aspect of peace/shalom (e.g. Psalm 104). St Laurence’s mission seeks to promote this understanding with humility, recognising deeply ingrained societal attitudes of subjugation and extractivism towards the natural world.
Justice
There can be no peace without justice, and indeed justice is an aspect of shalom. In the Gospels, Jesus speaks of “the Kingdom of God”, a vision of a world in which oppression and discrimination are overturned and all people can experience their equality before God and life in all its fullness. The mission of St Laurence’s seeks practical expression of aspects of this vision, including by simply “being with” those who do not experience justice in their lives.
Centre
There is an aspiration for St Laurence’s to become a Centre for Peace, not only in terms of what happens in its buildings, but also as a resource for the wider Stroud area and perhaps beyond. In time, links may be forged with other centres for peace, be they faith-based or otherwise. There is also a strong sense of civic responsibility for the buildings, which occupy Stroud’s foundational site and include the oldest structure in the town - the 14th Century tower and spire.
Governance
St Laurence’s is a part of the Church of England (Gloucester Diocese) and a member of the Stroud Team of churches. Responsibility for it lies with the Parochial Church Council (PCC), which is elected each year at an annual meeting (usually in April or May) that is open to all parishioners. Like any PCC, it has charitable status but is not a registered charity. It publishes its accounts at the annual meeting. The St Laurence’s PCC has sub-groups that can and do have non-Christian members.
Three-year turnaround strategy
At the end of 2022, following an initial recovery from the closure of the church building during the Covid-19 pandemic, the PCC decided to start spending from its reserves to fund a three-year turnaround strategy (2023-25). This has started with the appointment of a Social Enterprise Development Manager and a Caretaker. The aim is to enable St Laurence’s to become a thriving and financially sustainable concern, and to raise the substantial funds needed to commence the necessary regeneration of the buildings, both externally and internally.
Making peace, in its widest meanings, is at the heart of the mission of St Laurence’s. There are deep roots in the all-encompassing ancient Hebrew concept of shalom (wholeness, including justice and ecological flourishing) and in the teaching and purpose of Jesus, and there is openness to find peace at the heart of other faiths and philosophies. But there is recognition too that to be peacemakers involves work that can be hard as well as deeply satisfying.
The Arts
The arts can provide moments of wonder and glimpses of shalom, and St Laurence’s mission seeks to enable these to the greatest extent possible, from traditional Christian worship (including its music, liturgy and ritual) to spectacular circus events. No artistic genre is out of bounds, but at St Laurence’s, the arts should point beyond the artists to greater things, in the domains of peace, faith, ecology and justice.
Faith
St Laurence’s Church is and will remain a Christian place of worship, yet one where people of all faiths and none should feel welcome. There is an aspiration to find shared experiences of God/the Divine/the transcendent, while seeking to recognise what the Quakers call “that of God in everyone”. There is recognition of the unifying power of silence, and the mystical insight that the deepest experiences of faith go beyond what words can express.
Ecology
Ecology is a way of understanding and appreciating the interconnectedness of all life, including humanity. Judaeo-Christian and other faiths recognise the flourishing of the natural world as fundamental to human flourishing and an aspect of peace/shalom (e.g. Psalm 104). St Laurence’s mission seeks to promote this understanding with humility, recognising deeply ingrained societal attitudes of subjugation and extractivism towards the natural world.
Justice
There can be no peace without justice, and indeed justice is an aspect of shalom. In the Gospels, Jesus speaks of “the Kingdom of God”, a vision of a world in which oppression and discrimination are overturned and all people can experience their equality before God and life in all its fullness. The mission of St Laurence’s seeks practical expression of aspects of this vision, including by simply “being with” those who do not experience justice in their lives.
Centre
There is an aspiration for St Laurence’s to become a Centre for Peace, not only in terms of what happens in its buildings, but also as a resource for the wider Stroud area and perhaps beyond. In time, links may be forged with other centres for peace, be they faith-based or otherwise. There is also a strong sense of civic responsibility for the buildings, which occupy Stroud’s foundational site and include the oldest structure in the town - the 14th Century tower and spire.
Governance
St Laurence’s is a part of the Church of England (Gloucester Diocese) and a member of the Stroud Team of churches. Responsibility for it lies with the Parochial Church Council (PCC), which is elected each year at an annual meeting (usually in April or May) that is open to all parishioners. Like any PCC, it has charitable status but is not a registered charity. It publishes its accounts at the annual meeting. The St Laurence’s PCC has sub-groups that can and do have non-Christian members.
Three-year turnaround strategy
At the end of 2022, following an initial recovery from the closure of the church building during the Covid-19 pandemic, the PCC decided to start spending from its reserves to fund a three-year turnaround strategy (2023-25). This has started with the appointment of a Social Enterprise Development Manager and a Caretaker. The aim is to enable St Laurence’s to become a thriving and financially sustainable concern, and to raise the substantial funds needed to commence the necessary regeneration of the buildings, both externally and internally.
