The third in a series of annual conferences entitled Regenerating Places of Faith will take place in Adelaide in August.

The event will continue an ongoing exploration of how church congregations and their neighbourhood communities can be strengthened. Speakers will show how heritage church buildings can become innovative places to participate in worship and other beneficial activities.

Ian Hamilton from Arcuate Architecture said South Australia’s heritage churches were under pressure due to ageing and diminishing congregations, and from the financial burdens of repairs and maintenance.

“The huge response to the damage to Notre Dame shows clearly the sense of public ownership often associated with our heritage sacred places,” he said.

“At the prospect of losing a neighbourhood heritage church that embodies the depth of the spiritual, social and cultural feelings of our communities, great passions can be stirred, even amongst non-believers.

“Western governments have all recently acknowledged the growing mental health crisis associated with the loneliness and social isolation now prevalent in modern society.”

The pivotal role that churches could play in helping to alleviate this crisis will be one of a number of themes that will be addressed in this year’s Regenerating Places of Faith conference.

The all-day event will take place in Burnside City Uniting Church on Friday August 16. Tickets can be purchased on the website of the National Trust of South Australia, and ongoing information will be available through the Regenerating Places of Faith Facebook page.