Building a Brighter Future
- Reopening our premises -
We have now finished the major redevelopment of the Church Centre which has been taking place during 2004. The Official Reopening of the buildings took place on Saturday 20 November 2004 with an events to which we invited many representatives from the surrounding community. The ribbon was cut by our Minister (Rev Richard Littledale) and the Mayor of Richmond upon Thames (Councillor Pat Parsons).
There was a special service of dedication for the new building at 10.30am the following day (Sunday 21 November 2004) with Rev Nigel Wright (Spurgeon´s College) preaching.
If you are interested in booking rooms in the Church Centre, please click here: Room Bookings. You also can take a PhotoTour of the Church Centre.
- Redeveloping our premises -
How the Church Centre will look after
the Redevelopment Project
On Sunday 14 December 2003, a Special Church Meeting took the decision to place the contact for the Redevelopment Project building works with Farnrise Construction Ltd. Work began on Monday 2 February 2004. It is scheduled to last 32 weeks and the official opening ceremony is planned for Saturday 20 November 2004.
Articles
Redeveloping our premises (Dec 2002)
What do you want to do that for? (Dec 2002)
The Redevelopment Team
See also:
Redevelopment Project Files on SmartGroup
The History of our Buildings
Virtual Baptist Church Tour
To the fellowship of Teddington Baptist Church
Redeveloping our premises by Mike Wilkinson
When the Redevelopment Team started work in March 2001, we had a fairly loose brief to look at how we could change our buildings to improve the way in which we use them for God's work.
We knew that we would have to work on security and acess for the disabled but did not know how this would be realised in bricks and mortar.
Twenty months later we know that it will be realised not in bricks but in glass!
By harnessing the energy and ideas of the whole church membership to the creativity of our architect, Derek Kemp of
Church Projects Ltd, we have jointly created a wonderful design which will link a large glass front to a glass-roofed atrium. The effect will be to open up the church to the community as people will be able to see right into our main living space. They will also be able to see into the sanctuary as we worship.
Most of 2003 will be taken up with doing design work, getting council approvals and requesting bids from contractors.
We hope to start building in early 2004 and finish by the autumn.
We estimate that the project will cost £875,000 but we have set ourselves the target of actually doing it for £825,000.
I believe that this is the right scheme, at the right time, in God's plan for TBC, and the unanimous approval by the September Church Meeting tells me that you agree.
We have a hardworking band of people on the Redevelopment Team who are looking after all the practical aspects of the plan, but the one thing they cannot do is pay for the project themselves!
We will only be able to finance this if the whole fellowship gives generously. Please consider what you can do. email: Trevor King for advice on how you can give most effectively to the Redevelopment Project.
I am looking forward to 2004 and I already have the ribbon ready for the opening ceremony! Will you be there?
Mike Wilkinson
Redevelopment Team Leader
December 2002
To the fellowship of Teddington Baptist Church
What do you want to do that for? by Richard Littledale
Given the size of the project and the limits to our resources, it is not an unreasonable question!
We are not redeveloping the buildings simply to obey the letter of the law, although the redevelopment will bring us into line with the Disability Discrimination Act.
We are not redeveloping the buildings simply to
make us more open to the community, although we hope the redeveloped premises will make it easier to share what we have.
We are not redeveloping the buildings simply to make ourselves more comfortable, although we hope that the redeveloped buildings will provide a light, airy and attractive space for us as a church family.
No, we are redeveloping the buildings because over the years and in different ways, God has challenged us concerning them.
He has challenged us to ensure that they underpin rather than undermine the open and welcoming Gospel which we proclaim.
Those who are daunted by the prospect would do well to turn to the story of the widow of Zarephath in
1 Kings 17:7-24. She is challenged to provide a meal for a stranger with her last scraps of food. She gives everything she has away and finds that God repays her with an endless supply of food.
Give generously ... and keep an eye out for the miracles!
Richard Littledale
Minister
December 2002
The Redevelopment Team
The Redevelopment Team consists of a variety of people with different backgrounds and skills, who are doing their best to make this building project a reality. The members of the Team are pictured below.
Mike Wilkinson
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Neil Chapman
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Derek Wood
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Steph Wilkinson
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Pam Chapman
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Vince Grealy
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Trevor King
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See also:
The History of our Buildings
| Virtual Baptist Church Tour
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