Soul Space

Revd Jeb Beatty, Vicar of St Matthew’s, Edgeley and Cheadle Heath

Soul Space is our monthly Sunday evening session at St Matthew’s in Edgeley and Cheadle Heath, and it’s all about creating a different kind of space for people to engage with faith.

St Matthew’s is a single-church parish serving around 18,000 people in a socially and economically mixed area with high levels of deprivation. We have seven schools — six primary and one secondary — including a diocesan church school. Our congregation is a mix of older and newer members of faith, with flourishing toddler and dad’s groups, and a very involved volunteer team. We’re also blessed with Phil, a Church Army evangelist in training, who has a great empathy with people who learn differently and is dyslexic himself. Phil brings a fresh perspective on how churches can engage with people who learn differently, and he’s been instrumental in developing Soul Space.

Soul Space is a different approach to worship. It’s an hour-long, informal session without a sermon or structured liturgy, focusing on story and personal engagement with biblical characters. So far, we’ve explored Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. The sessions are designed with difference in mind, especially accessibility for neurodiverse participants. Around the building, we set up stations with tactile and visual materials, simple language, big fonts, and open questions. For example, reflecting on Joseph being unjustly imprisoned, we ask, “Have you experienced injustice? How did it feel? What did you do?” For Moses looking toward the Promised Land, we might provide binoculars to encourage people to think about hope and expectation in their own lives.

The atmosphere is relaxed and pressure-free. People can engage at their own pace, with no requirement to visit every station or give feedback, though a short time for reflection is available. It’s not a discussion group but a space for individuals to reflect on the story and their own experiences, and for interaction to happen naturally.

So far, we’ve run three of a four-part pilot, attracting around 10 people each time, some of whom are neurodiverse. Soul Space has been a wonderful opportunity for Phil to develop in confidence and leadership, while helping the church as a whole raise awareness of different ways people learn and engage with faith. It’s especially valuable for those who may struggle in more conventional church settings, like Tommy, a young man from the care system who loves participating in this way.

We’ll review the pilot in January to decide whether it should remain stand-alone, be integrated with other services, or expand further. Soul Space isn’t about numbers; it’s about accessibility, engagement, and creating space for everyone to experience faith in ways that work for them. It’s a small but significant step in making St Matthew’s welcoming, inclusive, and attentive to the needs of all who come through its doors.