Crowstone St. Georges URC
The Crowstone Christian Centre
Crowstone St.George's Church is the reason for Crowstone Christian Centre existing!
Crowstone Christian Centre gives the worshipping community of Crowstone St.George's Church the opportunity to live out their Christian live. Worshippers aim to come into worship and go out to serve.
In the summer of 1990 the Elders were encouraged to discuss the suitability of the buildings on the corner of Crowstone Road and Kings Road for present and future day needs. The Eldership felt that serious thought should be given to this, and with Church Meeting approval, a feasibility study should be undertaken. In order to take this process forward the following March Church Meeting appointed a small steering group.
Early in 1995, after much deliberation, consultation and prayer, the Feasibility Study Group brought its findings to a Church Meeting. Central to their thinking was the need to address three aspects both theologically and practically: the sanctuary was far too large for regular Sunday Worship; access to most rooms was hindered by the need to climb stairs; and the existing building was hindering plans for Christian involvement with the community. The Church Meeting disapproved of the Feasibility Study Group's motion "that the entire Church Site be redeveloped". However, all discussions from this point forward have been focused by the need to address the three issues stated above.
That Church Meeting in February 1995 did, though, express a willingness to continue the debate. Therefore, further discussion and consultation took place under the heading "Crowstone St.George's its People and Buildings". Through this process and with the aid of a comprehensive questionnaire it became clear that 81% of the membership were prepared to consider some kind of alteration to the buildings. Subsequently under the guidance of the Eldership and the focus given by the Feasibility Study Group the present project grew. In the spring of 1997 Clifford Patten, a member of Maldon United Reformed Church, was appointed Architect to the project.
The whole process took just over ten years and has culminated not only in the stunning transformation of the buildings that we witness today but with the birth of a New Church. Although the project did sometimes hit resistance and the workers changed, the vision and belief in what we are trying to achieve has not ceased. Indeed, if anything, it has grown as more and more people have caught the vision and seen that there is an opportunity to build on our memorable past.
