Post office service from church

Churches are being helped to find ways to attract more visitors

A post office and a farmers' market operating in churches have been hailed as the future for rural parishes.

The Church of England is encouraging churches to open up to groups not normally linked to Christian worship.

Now a booklet has been produced to help rural churches bring visitors in. There are 10,000 churches in rural England.

A weekly farmers' market in Shipbourne Parish Church, Kent, and a post office in Sheepy Magna Church, Leicestershire, have been highlighted as good examples.

Launching the pamphlet on Wednesday, the Rt Rev Michael Langrish, chairman of the Church of England rural affairs committee, said there were "lots of positive things" taking place in rural churches.

The 48-page guide, called Seeds in Holy Ground, also encourages parishes to keep churches open for as long as possible during daylight.

It says church furniture can be used to explain religious rites, and stained glass windows can be used to tell bible stories.