Churches that look like cafes and serve coffee and offer guided chanting and meditation could become the norm as the diocese looks for ways to reach out to a wider group of followers.
Traditional pastoral models would be tweaked to include more of what was relevant to today’s community, Anglican diocese of Newcastle ministry development officer Father David Battrick said.
“We will reconnect with ancient forms of spirituality like chanting that engages all the senses and tap into older forms of the eucharist that was common practice in the church 100 years ago,” he said.
Research showed there was great interest in spirituality, as distinct from religion, prompting the church to look at ways of helping people in their spiritual quest.