I popped into St Peter's today to meet Don Langford and hear about a Faraday Institute event he's planning there in the autumn: excellent news.

The vicar's vision document points out that the church is half-way physically between the Cathedral, which does traditional really well, and a new free church that does modern really well. With many fewer people beating a path to its door as the flagship evangelical church of the area, he suggests the calling now is to offer a mixed economy of the best of both traditional and modern.

In church building terms that fits. The top picture shows the chancel traditionally ordered with mediaeval stalls. Now look at the nave for an equally impressive modern environment:

Their DNA surely, as a Venn foundation, is to call people to Christ, and I hope the mixed economy will be as open and welcoming for that as I found the actual door to be today.

St Peter is a good saint to have on your side for opening doors: here is his key, formerly on top of the spire: