St Catharine's Church

Centenary Project

The current site of St Catharine's church will be 100 years old in 2015. To mark this occasion a centenary project has been started. The project is holistic and primarily looks at where we think God wants us to be in 2015 and beyond. To kick of the project, 'We have a dream' was drafted and provides a vision as to the kind of church we aspire to be, the facilities we may need and the values we hold.

We have a dream...

...of a place where God lives
...of "Bet le hem" (Hebrew for the "house of bread")
a warm, full-bodied loaf of newly-baked bread
not just the crumbs left over from the feast prepared here 100 years ago
...where people can see into the church before they venture over the threshold
...of a warm, welcoming and comfortable place where people can meet, talk, be silent, pray - a place where they can meet with God
...of a place where Under-5's mums can relax with a cup of coffee and a biscuit while their children are occupied
...of a place where our Primary schools can come - in groups large and small - to explore God's house and to worship Him
...of a place where our Secondary schools can come to hang out and dance and gig, to be still and watch and worship
...of a place where members of the community in which we are set can feel at home
...of a place where fellowship events can be held, and where outstanding fund-raising events can be conceived and delivered, without the inconvenience of no permanent hot water or washing-up facilities
...of a place where space is available, flexible and usable for meeting with God and with each other
...of a place to which the people can be called to worship; that announces unequivocally that God is being worshipped, and that prayer is ongoing, in the here and now
...of a place that speaks of Immanuel - of God with us, God among us - a God who loves and cares for each of us regardless of our deserving or our familiarity with Christian worship; a place that speaks of inclusivity not of hierarchy
...of a place where the worship - in whatever idiom - is extravagantly great; where audio-visual imagery can enhance our learning time and our prayer time
...of a place where hundreds upon hundreds of people come to worship and share fellowship
...of a place where people long to come because amazing things happen; they encounter God, they see signs and wonders, they experience healing and forgiveness and are set free
...of a place where incandescent disciples of Christ can be resourced and energised to join God in His mission field...

...we have a dream of such a place

A Warm Welcome Awaits (new heating project) is a major part of the Centenary Project, for more information click here.

As a matter of principle, the church has committed to tithing to charitable causes, both in the UK and abroad, funds raised as part of the Centenary Project.