2. We might think that the main reason a church is built is to bring glory to God, in other words that its job is primarily spiritual. There are things, like, say, the immense statue of Christ overlooking Rio de Janero that may indeed have such a spiritual purpose and little more.

3. But a church building, by contrast, has a strong people-purpose. It exists first and foremost to protect 'the Church' (i.e. people – from whom it derives its name) from the weather! Your Church is primarily a shelter!

4. Our weather-shelter may be historic or new, imposing or impoverished, temporary or permanent.

The worst thing that can happen to it is when it can no longer fulfil its purpose, i.e. when it no longer shelters a worshipping Christian community.

5. Years ago when I first visited the theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon, I bought a postcard of it as a souvenir, and hoped it would catch the essence of theatre for me. It didn't – just an empty stage and hundreds of empty seats! It conveyed nothing about drama or theatre.

6. In the same way much church publicity misleadingly depicts its local worship-shelters empty! This conveys nothing about the Church, except to confirm wrong ideas that it maintains old and unused buildings!

7. This widespread error comes, I think, from not keeping on focus what your church really is – a glorified umbrella - to help shelter the CHURCH !