history

The Churches Community Development Consultancy, now known as The Living Stones Consultancy, was founded in 1975 by Gordon Cook, an architect who had spent much of his career in ecclesiastical work, and had become concerned at the problems faced by many of his church clients. He and his fellow trustees offered to meet with churches at an early stage in their planning, helping them to address all the issues involved, to be realistic about their resources and capabilities, and trying to ensure that the proposed work would enable the church to engage more effectively with the local community.

Over the years, the trustees and associates (working under the name of the Church and Community Trust) have been involved with churches all over the country, in the inner city, suburbia and rural villages. Our methods of working vary according to each situation, and include facilitating meetings and workshops, initiating feasibility studies, and helping to appoint and brief architects and other consultants.

During the 1990s the Consultancy sought to expand its expertise and influence, running seminars and using our network of associates with skills in various disciplines. In 1998 the Consultancy was instrumental in obtaining a grant of £2.5 million from the Millennium Commission to enable 100 rural churches to adapt their premises for greater community use. This work has been administered by Rural Churches in Community Service, a company limited by guarantee. Today the emphasis remains that of assisting churches to grasp a vision and then go on to achieve it through their human and material resources.

"...the Church and Community
Trust helped St Augustine's
to gain greater confidence
in its vision for the future..."
Revd Robert Bull,
St Augustine's, Wisbech