Building St Barnabas
Housing the growing church at Bearwood
Housing the growing church at Bearwood
While all three congregations are large and thriving by modern standards, the growth at St Barnabas church has been both steady and significant. The current worship space within the building is no longer able to house the existing Sunday morning
congregation, which are typically about 110. The existing capacity of 125 seats, is now becoming so full it is a deterrent to additional worshippers attending. The other para-church activities, including multiple community uses of the building and the youth activities ensure a very full utilisation of the building during the week; the youth activities are in fact overflowing to use space in the adjoining Community Centre and we are very short of storage space.
Options for growth
We have considered a variety of options to increase the worship capacity of the church. After considering both the wishes of the congregation and the possibilities for multiple services, relocation to another site etc. it is clear that a substantial rearrangement and expansion of the building using its current site is the most effective and economic way forward.
congregation, which are typically about 110. The existing capacity of 125 seats, is now becoming so full it is a deterrent to additional worshippers attending. The other para-church activities, including multiple community uses of the building and the youth activities ensure a very full utilisation of the building during the week; the youth activities are in fact overflowing to use space in the adjoining Community Centre and we are very short of storage space.
Options for growth
We have considered a variety of options to increase the worship capacity of the church. After considering both the wishes of the congregation and the possibilities for multiple services, relocation to another site etc. it is clear that a substantial rearrangement and expansion of the building using its current site is the most effective and economic way forward.
The building is central to the Bearwood estate and adjoins the shops, community centre and surgery with shared car parking
Land for a new site is rare and expensive and would lack the shared parking
Land for a new site is rare and expensive and would lack the shared parking
Current utilisation of the building makes additional services difficult to schedule and would lead to fractured congregations and an unacceptable clergy workload
Design goals
We have commissioned a design for alterations to the existing building which will:-
• Expand the worship space by 79% to 224 seats enabling both congregational growth and a larger space for weekly community use.
• An additional office for our youth worker will be added and disabled access improved
Project status
The outline design has been completed and is approved by the church’s project team as meeting its goals. The project has received full planning permission from Poole Borough. Detailed project cost estimates are being refined and construction options identified and reviewed.
Funding
The Church is very committed to the project and we are approximately 2 thirds of the way towards funding this with many gifts coming from the congregation. As will be noted in the introduction Canford congregations have been very generous in funding new churches and community buildings throughout the benefice. At a recent PCC meeting tit was agreed to continue this support and we have also approached trusts and other members of the local community to support us. As a project of Canford Magna Parish, funding will enjoy the tax benefits for the donors of full charitable status.
Why you should support this project
The post-war decline in church attendance in the UK is well known but there are growing churches and this is one of them! Over 30 years the worshipping congregations of our parish have grown from 6 to over 600, from one church to three. Helping to expand this church is a much better investment in new worshipping Christians and an otherwise unchurched community than repairing old empty buildings. With some seriously committed financial help
• we can expect another 75-100 regular worshipers
The post-war decline in church attendance in the UK is well known but there are growing churches and this is one of them! Over 30 years the worshipping congregations of our parish have grown from 6 to over 600, from one church to three. Helping to expand this church is a much better investment in new worshipping Christians and an otherwise unchurched community than repairing old empty buildings. With some seriously committed financial help
• we can expect another 75-100 regular worshipers
• we can significantly expand youth work and community services to the Bearwood residents
How you can help
If you are a trustee of a Christian trust, we would like very much to have the chance to tell you more with a view to making an application for funds. Please contact Dr John Waldsax, our Project Fundraising manager at the address shown
Local councillors and managers in local government; we welcome your support and particularly your knowledge, advice and access to your funding contacts. Please talk to Dr John Waldsax or the Revd Geoff Boland, the St Barnabas Team Vicar.
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How to make a donation
Contact the St Barnabas Office, King John Avenue, Bearwood, Bournemouth BH11 9TF or phone (01202) 579562. The office can provide you with a Gift Aid form, which will enable the project, and perhaps you to obtain a tax refund. Cheques should be made out to Canford Magna PCC; St Barnabas. The charity number is X94419-0.
Contacts
Revd Geoff Boland Team Vicar of St Barnabas Church 01202 579562
stbarnabas@canfordparish.org or office@canfordparish.org
Dr John Waldsax Church Warden 01202 889269 john@waldsax.net
Contact the St Barnabas Office, King John Avenue, Bearwood, Bournemouth BH11 9TF or phone (01202) 579562. The office can provide you with a Gift Aid form, which will enable the project, and perhaps you to obtain a tax refund. Cheques should be made out to Canford Magna PCC; St Barnabas. The charity number is X94419-0.
Contacts
Revd Geoff Boland Team Vicar of St Barnabas Church 01202 579562
stbarnabas@canfordparish.org or office@canfordparish.org
Dr John Waldsax Church Warden 01202 889269 john@waldsax.net
Date of PowerPoint: October 2009