St. Michael & All Angels Church
Celebrating, proclaiming & demonstrating God’s love as shown in Jesus
St Michael's Development Appeal
Building a Church for the 21st Century
Update: January 2012
TOTAL
RAISED SO FAR £353,000 (Jan 2012)
Finally the Faculty has been granted and building work will now start in the church on 9th January 2012. Contracts were signed with the builders in December and, after Christmas, church members cleared the church and removed the pews in readiness for the major changes to the inside of the church to begin. The church will be closed until around the end of June with sunday services taking place in the parish centre (8:30am & 6:30 pm) and the church hall (10:30am). Fundraising continues in order to raise all the money required for St Michaels to have a church "Fit for the 21st Century".
Click on the link below to see the progress of the building work.
Tip: Use the 4 arrows at bottom right of screen to view in full page mode. Select "Show Info"
for brief description of photo.
For over 1,000 years a church has existed on the site of St Michael & All Angels. Little remains of the original Saxon church apart from the base of the tower. Over the centuries the church has changed and evolved to meet the needs of each generation, and it was in the 19th century that the Victorians made the last major changes (except for the extension to the church built 10 years ago).
The church is a vital living organism and the building should always reflect the current needs and aspirations of church members. The danger in wanting to preserve the past exactly as it is results in a museum piece that serves only to confirm the view that the Church is an anachronism and outdated and irrelevant to modern society.
We now have the opportunity to invest in the future and to build a church that is fit and ready for the 21st Century and an opportunity that may not come for another 100 years. The current deterioration of the pews and floor mean that action will be necessary sooner or later and the cramped interior of the church does not lend itself to modern forms of worship.
Change is always difficult and the familiar seems comfortable and friendly but we are sure the proposed changes will enhance the character of our lovely building. Whether you are a regular worshipper, an occasional visitor, have used the church for a wedding or a christening or attended a carol service, I hope you will join us in our commitment to the people of
Please consider giving generously to our appeal to ensure the church's continued place at the centre of village life in
Richard Arding (Vicar)
THE CHALLENGE
Major works are essential
- Pew platforms are life expired, rotting and eaten by vermin. Pews are worn and
uncomfortable.
- Current legislation requires that we make every effort to make the whole church
accessible to all.
- Health and safety rules require us to make safer access to the church tower.
- New heating and lighting systems are needed to preserve the ancient fabric and
facilitate greater community use.
- Redecoration of the interior has not been done for many years.
- Changes will enable more flexible use of the building and enhance worship.
- Our long term plan is to make the church more available and accessible to the
community.
The plan is
- To reconstruct the floor of the nave in durable stone and all on one level.
- To install new under-floor heating and energy efficient lighting.
- To provide padded comfortable chairs.
- To construct a gallery at the West end and relocate the sound desk and bell
ringers.
- To relocate the choir screen and provide disabled access to the chancel.
Special additional features
- An extended chancel platform and nave altar with removable altar rails.
- Rear of church storage area.
- Installation of state of the art audio-visual equipment
Click here to download a Gift Aid Form
All donations will be gratefully received and can be sent to:
The Appeal,
1 Curates Walk,
All gifts will be acknowledged and recorded in a commemorative book in the church.
A number of events have been planned to raise funds for the appeal, go to the 'What's on' page to see full details of these and other church events.
Office Address:
2 High Rd,
Wilmington,
Kent
DA2 7EG..........Registered Charity Number:1127656