New Building Project!

The church windows were designed and supplied by Sarah Galloway Associates

Financially - we are grateful and hopeful

Cornerstone is doing well, much better than we originally hoped. Last year the gross figure was £45k, this year it is £54k. We owe a huge debt of thanks to Claire and all the volunteers for the amazing work they do in both raising funds and serving the community. What surprises me is there are people who still haven’t spent a few hours in the shop. It is great fun. If all you can do is sort a few things, tidy shelves or make some coffees and chat to customers then you are always welcome. As Claire points out, if everyone in the church did an odd hour we would not have any problems filling the rota and keeping the shop open. You might find it difficult to write a cheque for £150, however, if you spent a day in Cornerstone you may well contribute that much to the building fund whilst having a lot of fun - Joy is in the giving!

Also do remember people are still coming to know Jesus through our shop.

In our relative prosperity we are going to tithe both gifts towards the chairs and the Cornerstone income. Daily we see evidence of need around the world for basic things like schools, clinics and churches. We will be prayerfully considering where we might provide some practical aid. There are a number of areas where church members have personal links eg India, Africa and Mexico. Please let us know if there is a specific project which God has laid on your heart.

Above all - please keep the project in your prayers.

Keep faithful, keep praying and thank God for all he is doing.

Colossians 3: 15-17

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Chairs

Neil Clark is still coordinating the chair hunt! We hoped to have a number in the church for people to try out, this has been delayed a little but samples are on their way. It is not too late to suggest a chair, if you come across an excellent chair let Neil know as we want a good selection to choose from. FAQ -The chairs at Leigh Road are in the running.

We are looking for a chair that will be elegant, stackable, have some facility of storage/shelf and, of course, be comfortable. Neil will follow up on a lead. If possible ask the venue for the make of the chairs and where they came from. The really good news is that following our chair appeal, we now have cash or pledges for £13000 which, with gift aid, is over half our chairs. Think prayerfully about buying a chair, remember we are temporary residents of West Leigh and we should be thinking of those we want to invite and those who will come after us. We are not buying chairs just for ourselves but for future generations of Christ's family. Many thanks to Rebecca Sealy who offered to bring her sofa each week if we are short!

We cannot cover everything in such a short update so please feel free to talk to any of us on the building group: Ian Bird, Neil Clarke, Val Baldwin, David Frampton, David Carter, Malcolm M’Clelland and Grahame Tosh.

Future Use

The group looking at how we will use our premises after they are completed has met once and is due to meet again in early May with the plan to hold a Church Lunch later on in May so that the whole fellowship can get involved. Tony Simmonds is now leading this group

This video explains where we're up to and what is proposed - there is more detail further down the page.

Download this video as a PowerPoint presentation HERE

Why are we rebuilding the church premises?

·  Firstly, and most importantly, to bring Glory to God

·  Parts of the buildings are in very poor condition despite numerous repairs

·  The heating, lighting, electrics and windows all need replacing

·  The rooms are not very flexible

·  The site is very poor for disabled access

·  We would like facilities which are flexible, comfortable and fit for a growing church

In every aspect of our lives we want to bring glory to our heavenly father, and the buildings we use to worship Him should reflect the love we feel for Him. We want our Church to be a bold and dynamic group of people who have a place of worship which says we love God and want to support the community in which he has placed us.

Jesus in us, our church, our community and our world.