Final preparations are now underway for the United Reformed Church’s debut as an associate partner at the Greenbelt Christian arts festival where the programme will feature URC-led events on the theme of ‘Scrap the Church?’

Those events are to include the transformation of a large-scale, scrap metal church installation over the course of the bank holiday weekend. The festival, running from Friday (26 August) to Monday at Boughton House in Northamptonshire, will also be the setting for a panel discussion considering whether the Church is the kind of thing that Jesus had in mind when he talked about the Kingdom of God and, if not, considering alternatives to a ‘business as usual’ approach to church life.

On Saturday lunchtime (8 July) the United Reformed Church General Assembly celebrated the work of the four initiatives commended in its Community Project Awards scheme, which is sponsored by the church insurer, Congregational & General. The awards are granted every two years, recognising the outstanding community impact of faith-led initiatives.

The overall winner of the 2016 Community Project Awards is Families Matter, a group based at Cornerstone URC in Hythe, Hampshire, that provides a range of practical support for families, including parenting classes. At the Assembly, representatives from the initiative – the Revd Eddie Boon, Cornerstone URC's minister, and Julia Cross, Project Manager – were presented with the winners plaque as well as a cheque for £4,000.

The General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, the denomination's executive body, meets from 8 to 11 July at Southport Convention Centre to consider and decide on a range of issues including the marriage of same-sex couples.

The URC's General Assembly meets every two years to celebrate, discuss, and make decisions on the life and work of the URC.

Assembly's first task will be the induction of the new Moderators of General Assembly – the Revd Kevin Watson and Mr Alan Yates – for a two-year term of service. Moderators are the URC's figureheads, chairing major meetings and representing the denomination internally, at home and abroad.