Two medieval churches on the flood plain of the River Severn in Gloucestershire have taken a series of measures to tackle the problem and the Church of England hopes they may offer hope to other congregations concerned about extreme weather events.
It is understood St Michael and All Angels in Tirley, which was built in the 14th century, has been repeatedly flooded and, in 2007, the nave was under five feet of water.
The diocesan advisory committee chair Henry Russell, said: "It was a serious situation.
"Together with insurers, English Heritage, other consultees and the parish we met at the church and saw extensive damage.
"We knew preventative measures needed to be taken."
Works taken inside the Grade-I Listed building are said to include moving the organ up into the attic, raising the level of electric wiring and replacing pews with chairs which can be moved in the event of flooding.
The church insurer, Ecclesiastical Insurance, says 129 church buildings were among properties damaged in the recent storms and floods.
Meanwhile, members of the church at Ashleworth can reportedly use metal scaffolding and wooden stands to keep their pews and other furniture out of harm's way.
The church is also said to have agreed to remove the wall plaster to avoid the cost of repairing damage in future, while a lower-level room formerly used as a vestry is now only used for flower arranging.
Both Ashleworth and Tirley can monitor the River Severn's flow further upstream, thanks to an online tracker system, which gives them time to prepare.
Vicar, the Revd John Longuet-Higgins said: "The villagers know from years of experience how to monitor the river and the fields around the village, which flood every year.
"The road in front of Tirly Church floods very regularly and when that happens we grab all that is needed for our worship into a box and move church to the village hall.
"If it looks like the river is going to burst its banks we move our kneelers first to the chancel followed by chairs and such like.
"Being flooded means you have to rethink everything.
"It has been an opportunity to create a flexible church and that is wonderful as it offers us so many options for using the space in different ways.
"The fact that the church floods as well as homes in the village means we can empathise more with the local community."