As this local church looked long and hard at the new Millennium’s call and challenge to mission, we established a Mission Statement with a Membership Covenant. Out of these we identified key Strategic Aims (which now help us set goals year by year) and face different Areas of Impact. Together these express what we are calling Vision 21, for us to be a gospel-driven, mission-shaped church for the 21st Century.
One of the five impacts or implications is the development of our premises and facilities to resource our mission and ministry for the 21st Century to “Harold Wood and beyond”.
St Peter’s Church was built in 1939 and given a major facelift in 1999 (eg carpet, redecoration, tiering, new lighting, dias and video projection). The church building itself is surprisingly warm, homely and attractive. The remaining facilities (roughly at the back of the site, sloping down away from the road) are extensive, but now stretched and tired. After two prolonged bouts of consultation within the fellowship and community, we are now committed to a major £1.95 million redevelopment to bring the St Peter’s Centre (and the Ingrebourne Centre across the road, leased from the Council) fully into the 21st Century and fit for purpose.
The main emphases are clearly welcome, hospitality, accessibility and service to the community. The issues are not so much to do with maintenance or extension as with engaging with mission in today’s culture. First impressions and relationships are important – hence contemporary and attractive facilities to welcome and serve people; a central hub for reception and information, café-style facilities for hospitality and meeting people, designated provision for the very young and the elderly, commercial kitchens up to the best professional standards, areas and equipment for leasing and training needs, complete accessibility to all areas, purpose-built offices for all staff and today’s ministry. The big picture is for our buildings to be opened up to welcome people in fellowship and to send us out in service – in the name and gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
With money in the bank and sacrificial Gifts & Pledges (often over 2 to 3 years and Gift-aided) beginning to come in, our gross total given and pledged is currently (March 2008) £1.692 million. We’re well on our way! Planning applications are already lodged with local authority and diocese (already favourable) and we hope to be able to start building in June 2008 with a finish date of September 2009. God be praised for his grace and generosity already at work among us, but it remains a matter of vision and a venture of faith.
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