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We need the following
- A heating system that will heat the building in an effective and efficient manner (we are looking into sustainable technologies).
- Provision for toilets.
- A space for junior church, for social and business meetings.
- Space and kitchen facilities to provide refreshments to the congregation after services and for small community events.
- A flexible lighting scheme to illuminate the nave and highlight important aspects of the church.
- An effective sound system in church and loop facility.
- Level access to the church and within the church.
- To reposition the current font to a central position within the nave of the church in the west end.
- An attractive garden area which has a particular theme (perhaps a Spiritual garden of biblical plants), which other members of the community can use to include seating and shelter.
- Provision for storage within the church.
- Repairs and cleaning of our stained glass windows and replacement of outside protective mesh with something more aesthetically pleasing.
- Refurbishment of the vestry area to include a small office space.
- A physical visibility to the local community that we are here and a vibrant worshipping community.
- Provision for WiFi
- Provision for audio visual facilities
- Suitable integral storage for hymn books, etc., and notice boards.
- A flexible worship space
- A display to reflect the history of the church and community.
UPDATES ON ANNEXE PROGRESS (most recent on Homepage and then archived here)
REFURBISHMENT AND ANNEXE UPDATE MARCH 2019
New plans are afoot to develop the south side of the church to add a kitchen and toilets rather than knocking through the rear wall - an option which was looking too costly to pursue. The notice board has been ordered - it was put on hold awaiting a decision on new order of weekly services. The railings and ironwork will be painted in April by members of the Community Payback team. The fire extinguishers are all checked and tested. A specially commissioned altar table has been ordered to replace the rather rickety, fold-down table currently used for weekly Communion services. (Donations are very welcome towards this and other works).
REFURBISHMENT AND ANNEXE UPDATE JANUARY 2019
A general smartening up of the boiler room is quietly going on below ground after the installation of the new boiler in the autumn of 2018.
As our church fund-raising efforts and the response to our grant applications have been a little disappointing we are embarking on a stock-take of where we are and whether to reduce our ambitions regarding the size of the annexe. The PCC will be holding an extra-ordinary meeting very soon to discuss a way forward.
NOVEMBER 2018
Over the past few weeks the altar has been moved to its original position of 1886 which is immediately below the reredos. The work has revealed more of the original Victorian tiling and the marble slab on which the altar stands.
OCTOBER 2018 The new central heating boiler has been installed, commissioned and is working just in time for those cold winter Sundays! The notice board has been agreeed upon and ordered. Bell ringers have started practising on Monday evenings again and are making a joyful noise on the whole! If you would like to join them contact churchwarden@stmichaelsbeckwithshaw.org or telephone 531261.
July 2018
New pew CUSHIONS have replaced the pieces of old carpet (used for more than 35 years tha t I know of) and these are very smart and comfortable!
The PCC have also been working on a logo design and corporate colours for a new notice board and this will be ordered very soon.
May 2018
At last, Planning Permission has been granted for the new annexe so we need to get our skates on and apply for as many grants as possible. Although we have a sizeable amount in the kitty it is not enough and we will be making immediate applications for both boiler-replacement funding and Heritage Lottery funding for the annexe. Many funders require us to 'match-fund' so the amount we already have is going to be extremely useful. The PCC have worked as a team to put together the applications so fingers crossed!
April 2018
We have had the bell-tower cleaned out and around 16 black sacks of birds nests and remains and all sorts of unmentionables removed. The louvre windows have been covered with mesh inside to stop further nesting and roosting and all we need now is a new team of bellringers.....
Why do we need to change?
Having a cold, dark, uninviting environment with no toilet facilities or proper space to provide refreshments makes it difficult to conduct worship or provide any form of hospitality. Having an environment that is warm and comfortable is essential to the survival of the church. We are a small congregation who needs to encourage others to engage with the worship, and to utilise the church and it’s buildings (not only for worship) to ensure that the church is a viable community. The need for level access into the church and into the main body of the church which is adaptable means that we can provide different styles of worship without having to worry about getting people up and down a number of steps.
The removal of the pews will create a flexible worship space. The provision of a specially designed altar (that can be moved), which fits into the space, will mean that it feels as though it belongs in the church, facilitating engaging worship and reflecting the theology of common worship.
We need to be able to support ourselves and the creation of a spiritual garden of biblical plants will mean that we will draw people towards using the church buildings and expresses the importance of the church in the community. There is a perceived need for a quiet reflective garden in the village, this proposal will provide one.
Junior Church meets in a small cold, damp vestry, which isn’t conducive with running attractive and engaging sessions. This means that if we get anymore than six children we cant physically fit into the space. We currently engage with six children and we would like to grow but we are constrained by the environment. Having to use the toilets in the nearby village hall is problematic, both in getting there (in that you have to go through the church or down some very steep outdoor steps and then outside in all weathers) and the loss of a member of the team.
We see the creation of a space that we can use for community events as being important. There has been initial interest in the use of the new building for quiet days and for a film club. We are currently exploring what else the space could be used for but we do know that the school struggles for break out spaces. The current space isn’t viable. Having some form of outdoor interest would mean that indoor spaces could be better utilised.
We work hard to engage with the local school and having a more flexible space will mean that we have a more attractive proposition for the school to engage with.
The Proposals
- To construct a building on the North side of the church to house toilets, storage, to have space for refreshments and for junior church to meet. This will be linked to the church by a glass/masonry link. There will be provision for a small beverage area in this building. There will also be provision for high speed broadband and for audio visual facilities that can be used for films as well as presentations.
- To form a new entrance into church under the West window.
- To remove the pews in the nave and replace them with comfortable loose seating.
- To raise the floor and install underfloor heating with the possibility of utilising a ground source heat pump. There would also be peripheral heating.
- To install new lighting suspended from the current points in the nave. It is envisaged that this will be energy efficient and will be controllable to create different lighting moods. It is also envisaged that there will be lighting that will pick up architectural features.
- To refurbish and clean the stained glass windows and replace the mesh on the outside of the church to something that doesn’t loose the definition of the details of the windows.
- To install a new pa/sound system to meet current/future needs and provide a working loop system.
- To refurbish the vestry with a new sink and work surface and fitted cupboards for vestments and church linens and to provide a desk space.
- To create a Spiritual Biblical Plants garden with lighting, seating and shelter. There will be small ponds and perhaps a labyrinth. We would like to illuminate the church at night perhaps with lighting that will colour change to represent the seasons of the church.
- To make the current entrance air tight (but retaining the appearance of the doors to the exterior) and build an internal wall in the entrance below the tower for storage.
- To reposition the font to a central point just into the west end.
- To form new cupboards and notice boards in the nave west end to house books, etc.
- To commission a display of the social history of the village and church and to display this in the narthex, nave and link to the new build. There may also be an audio tour of the church or at least a leaflet of the history and main points of the church.
- To remove the extension to the plinth in the sanctuary and restore the sanctuary altar to the east end wall where it originally would have been and expose the marble plinth below.
- To provide a bracket and plaque to display the standard of the Royal Naval Association which has been layed up in the church.
- To repair the carved stonework on the reredos and pulpit back to it’s original state.
The Justification for the project
The church was lucky enough to have a sizable legacy and the PCC and church community wanted to ensure that the church and buildings are there for generations to come. It is felt that the best way to do this is to grow the congregation both in numbers, in spirit and in outreach; and as such the reordering and new building is intended as a missional tool. We need a worship space that is flexible, comfortable, and with associated facilities that ensure we can engage with people in an attractive way.
The face of worship has changed from when the church was built with current liturgy intended to be lead in conjunction with and within the body of the people. Having a properly proportioned nave altar and flexible seating will allow us to adapt the seating arrangement to suit the size of congregation and the style of worship. This means that worship becomes more intimate and engaging.
Having spaces that are flexible means that other activities can take place in the church ensuring that the building remain viable and the historic elements are preserved. The building then continue to be utilised for the purpose in which they were intended, as a place of worship and a focus of the life of the community. The new building and garden will allow there to be a more an engagement with the community and it will also allow us to rent the space so ensuring financial viability.
We consider that we have kept all the salient features of the church intact and in deed we have restored elements back to their original state. The removal of pews from the nave is integral to the plan as is the raising of the floor for level access. The new building is intended to be different from the main church building in style but will allow there to be much needed facilities. This again is integral to the overall plan.
How much will this all cost?
It is envisaged that the project with be in excess of £600,000 we have secured funds towards the costs but there is around a £350,000 shortfall. We have started a building fund which will be ongoing throughout the project. If you would like to contribute please contact Rev. John Smith on 01423391514. We will also be looking for funding from other external sources.
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