Building good relationships with your church

As ringers we often take it for granted that we are able to ring tower bells for church services throughout the year. Many of us are fortunate in having an agreed time in which to practise our ringing skills too. During the pandemic, however, all this has changed. There has been a significant reduction, or even a total pause, in live church services and a corresponding halt to service ringing. Change can sometimes promote opportunity though. The present situation, and that going forward, provides a chance for us to build a stronger relationship with our church communities: we need to be proactive, make contact and encourage discussions as to how ringing can be an integral part of the activities and mission of our churches.

Key contacts within your church

Incumbent
Church Officers such as Churchwardens
Relevent Church Authorities (e.g. PCC) – especially the Secretary and Treasurer
Health and Safety Officer
Safeguarding Officer

Larger churches may also have:

A Volunteer Coordinator
A press or media contact

Key things to consider

Work with your Incumbent and relevant church authorities (e.g. PCC) to agree and review risk assessments, including an ongoing Covid-19 risk assessment.
Become familiar with the church viewpoint about the ringing of its bells. Take every opportunity to provide ringing for services either actually or virtually (see Ringing for Services – add link).
Suggest that a ringer should represent the band on the relevant church authority (e.g. PCC). This will help to promote an awareness of the role of the band and address any needs that the band may have. It is a channel that can raise the importance of bells and ringers within both the church and the wider community.
Organise regular catch-ups with your church contacts; any communication and opportunity for planning ringing is always a bonus.
Support the church – although some ringers are churchgoers, there are plenty who ring at practices and on Sundays who do not stay to services. If you normally volunteer as a bell ringer perhaps for the time being you could now help out with another voluntary role? Use the chance to talk about the bells and say: “Normally I’m a bell ringer!” Because we are often ‘out of sight, out of mind’ people are genuinely fascinated by ringers and often ask lots of questions. So whilst completing a new volunteering task you can simultaneously help to raise awareness with purposeful chat.
Invite your clergy and other church volunteers to a virtual ringing practice or an online social event. Get them to have a go too! Continue to include them once more normal activities resume after restrictions are eased.
Work together with other towers, or at Branch/District/Guild/Association level, to engage with Diocesan, Archdeaconry or Deanery officials so that ringing is included as a key part of the church recovery from the pandemic.

What have people done

Harrow Weald

Sonia Field writes about working with the church at Harrow Weald during lockdown. An almost silent tower is unlikely to stay silent when ringing resumes, with a band of ringers champing at the bit, ready and waiting ... and a very warm welcome and appreciation from the church.

Lytchett Matravers

Virtual ringing for a Virtual Service was a great experience for the Lytchett Matravers banc. Our Vicar, Stephen Partridge, joined in and covered to Plain Hunt. He already adds an old recording of us ringing before and after our Virtual Service so to include a short video for the online congregation of us ringing online was great fun and we received some amazing comments on email and Facebook afterwards.

Engaging your stakeholders

Make a Ringing Room recording

This is a great way of showing your local community what you're doing when you can't ring your real bells. You can also add your recording to your local online church service and put ringing at the heart of your church community.