Development Project
We need the following
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
The Justification for the projectThe 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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