Western Morning News (Saturday)
You’ll be ‘champing’ at the bit to try this...
EASTER is over. Some of us will have been to a church service. Others might be thinking of a holiday. Now a number of people are combining the two for a holiday with a difference. A number of churches are opening their doors and offering more than just a pew – they’re participating in a new flourishing new scheme known as champing.
Over 22 churches are taking part in the new idea, which involves camping in churches, sleeping on a makeshift bed between the pews. Basic amenities such as water and loos are included and some team up with farmers to provide breakfasts. Others are often very close to the local pub who will offer dinner and, of course, a pint.
Churches are very expensive to run and often have huge repair bills. The donations that once helped are dwindling, as are the congregations. So the church had to come up with an idea. Guy Foreman, head of enterprise at the Churches Conservation Trust (CTT) launched champing in 2016, and the idea has been an answer to prayers.
Last year the scheme had its most successful year ever and are doubling their capacity in 2024, attracting holidaymakers, hikers and pilgrims. “Many people are looking for cheaper holidays in the UK because of the cost of living crisis” said Guy. “Staycations and unique experiences are a growth area within the holiday sector. People want something different, an experience they can treasure. It’s not expensive and prices start at £49 a night for adults and £25 for children.”
The average stay is about one night. Some people go from one church to another, and are linked up by walking routes and pilgrimages. Many find it a good way to switch off from the modern world, connecting instead to something spiritual.
Spirituality is something many younger people are taking up. A recent survey by the Church of England showed that young adults are more likely than older generations to pray, and have a growing interest in mindfulness and meditation. Although church attendences are lower, those under 35 were more likely to pray than older people; 56% of people between 18-34 said that they’d prayed at some point, including a third who had prayed in the previous month.
“This challenges an all-too-common assumption that young people had no interest in religion or faith” said The Rev Dr Stephen Hance, a national lead for evangelism and witness for the Church of England.
“In fact, they show us that they are already exploring it in practice to a greater extent than their elders,” he said. “In an age when mindfulness and meditation are more popular than ever, prayer makes sense to people. And with pressures mounting and people facing huge uncertainty, many are drawing strength from God in prayer”.
It might bring about more than just strength. Another report reckons that people who describe themselves as spiritual tend to live longer, smoke and drink less, experience fewer symptoms of depression and engage in more physical activity.
The Journal of the American Medical Association published studies of almost 400 studies examining whether there was any link between spirituality and better physical and mental health, particularly among patients being treated for serious illness. The analysis looked at whether there was an association between frequent religious service attendance and better health.
Well, what d’ya know? It was found that it was linked to a lower risk of mortality, less smoking, less alcohol, illicit drug use, better life satisfaction, better mental health, fewer depressive symptoms and fewer suicidal behaviours. It found that those who regularly attended religious services were 27% less likely to die early and 33% less likely to suffer symptoms of depression.
The study also found that people who were spiritual were less sedentary, had a lower number of lifetime sexual partners as well as increased physical activity and better performance in both physical and cognitive functioning.
It’s hardly surprising to learn that the community element of belonging to a church, religious or spiritual group was linked with improved health. I’d have thought that generally people gathering together to work towards a spiritual life would want to be kinder, more loving and thoughtful to each other.
It was shown that patients who had spiritual care included in their medical treatment improved their quality of life and that of their families. It was also felt that patients would feel more respect and feel more connected with the healthcare system if doctors asked if spirituality and faith helped them when thinking about their health and illness.
So if more people are drawing strength from prayer, it’s not surprising perhaps that the opportunity of spending the night in a church for a holiday is appealing to a growing number of people. God, after all, works in mysterious ways and this could be another way of filling our churches.