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Remember: Our Goal is to be an Open Church, with:
• People coming into the church or Chapter House often during the day: to experience the Love of God
• The Church and Chapter House becoming a hive of activity: the church community reaching out to Share the Love of God
• Possibilities: coffee mornings, prayer groups (Chapter House groups?), Bible reading, a lunch club, conferences, library and bookstall
Where are we?
• The Chapter House is now in use. We’ve raised the money to pay for it.
• We’re continuing to raise pledges at about same rate as for the first phase, but we still have a long way to go
• We will need to spend 2009 in planning and preparation (raising the funds), all underpinned by prayer.
• Also in 2009 – Our New Rector will assume leadership,
• So that we can make a start in 2010 and go out to tender
• Then, complete the work in 2011.
Where do we expect the money to come from?
• As with the first phase, most will come from individuals giving regular sums each month over 5 years.
• We are applying for grants from dozens of sources, but only a few will succeed and these will produce only comparatively small sums.
• We are also applying to local companies, but again this has produced only small sums, welcome nonetheless.
• We shall also give the local community chance to support the restoration of their parish church.
What is the biggest part of the internal Restoration?
• The Floor is the big item in the work - £300,000 of the total estimated cost of £450,000
• It includes a new permeable membrane to stop the damp causing decay
• With under floor heating, instead of fixed iron radiators.
• On top of this will be 1000 stone tiles
• So, one tile and the floor under it costs £300
• Can you, or your group, fund 10 tiles worth of floor?
How does Restoration help towards our Goal?
• St Mary’s will be more accessible, more comfortable and welcoming: somewhere people want to go
• Centuries of worship and prayers in this sacred place become available to those who come in
•This beautiful building is an ambassador of God’s Love, its long term future secured by curing the damp problem: Remember the tower fell down in 1804!
The Challenges: Funding and Reaching Out
• Funding - We can start the restoration work only when we have raised sufficient funds: let’s pray for people to pledge generously
• Reaching Out through an Open Church: An Open Church must reach out to the Community. We need people to commit time to do this. We already do this with Pop In and Open Door; can we do more now in readiness for the restored church?
What do we need to pray about?
• The damage to the church being caused by damp
• People to be moved to commit to regular giving over five years
• The church and Chapter House becoming a hive of Christian activity
• Commitments to spend time in the church or Chapter House
If you would like to contribute to restoring St Mary’s please speak to me or Philip Derbyshire
Jim Cadwallader
9 Nov 08
Project Team
Chair: Peter Knight
Team members
Paul Fiske
Bill Nicholson
Steve Upton
John Vince
Finance Panel
Chair: Jim Cadwallader |
