The Parsonage Project:

A Youth Centre at Dursley Tabernacle URC.

URC Vision 2020 Statement 4: Community Partnerships

‘We will be a Church that is more active in the life of local neighbourhoods’.

The Tab’s story is a tale of:

• decay and despair• audacious vision• stepping out in faith• community partnerships• massive change• new hope

Tab Timeline:2010 Vision 2020 statement – focus on Youth Work.

Church Youth Worker Appointed2011 Parsonage declared unfit for purpose as

minister’s residence.2012 Entered in to Partnership with Town Council.

Parsonage vacated.2013 Public Consultation. Planning Permission

obtained. Development Worker Appointed.2014 Construction Phase2015 Youth Centre opened to the public.2016 Phase Two…?

What it cost:In reality The Vibe has cost the church about £100Kand the Town Council have invested at least £300K.

A rough calculation suggests the Tab has invested atleast a thousand volunteer hours a year in this work,plus all the paid efforts of the Tab Youth Worker andDevelopment Worker.

Funds for the church share of the costs have comefrom a range of sources large and small. Thesupport of the West Midlands Synod Mission Fundto finance Youth Worker and Development Workerroles, as well as a capital grant, has been significant.

What it delivered:• A fantastic space for our own church youth

work making our young people feel valued.• A community resource which has

transformed community youth work in thetown and, now staffed entirely by ChristianYouth Workers, is reaching large numbers ofyoung people who do not usually cross thethreshold of a managed space.

• New partnerships and new potential forinvestment and future projects.

Why did it work?

• Prayer and consultation each step of the way.• Teamwork and new partnerships.• A willingness to think about what thecommunity needed and not what the churchwanted.

• A willingness to take risks & step out in faith.• An insistence that the faith journey of thechurch was not neglected along the way.