Kind gifts do great things

Published on: 14 October 2019

Legacy stories from St James’s Church Southrepps, Christ Church Eaton and St Mary and St Botolph Church Hevingham

St James’s Church, Southrepps

St James’s Church was left a legacy of £750,000 which enabled them to build a well-designed extension. The ground floor includes a kitchen and small hall which is large enough to seat approximately 25 people sat around tables. There are also toilets and a store room and upstairs there is a useful meeting room and office. This is the sort of development which would help so many of our churches become community buildings for their local village, but it is dependent upon us being proactive about encouraging legacies in our own parishes. With these sorts of facilities you can hold toddler groups and coffee mornings very comfortably as well as run several other much needed groups. Legacies like this help to make our churches sustainable for the future.

Christ Church Eaton

Christ Church Eaton were able to develop a welcome area in their church thanks to the generosity of a legacy. It has a fully accessible WC and kitchen facilities which are proving helpful for hosting concerts, weddings and major services and is also ideal for community events, exhibitions, lunches and school visits. Legacy money has also meant that they can restore their pipe organ. Christ Church were very clever as they did not use every penny of their legacy money to pay for their projects but also applied for grants from grant-making bodies, which meant that their legacies went so much further.

A legacy, however small, can be that important catalyst to get a project off the ground, and that is why each and every one of us in our church congregations as well as those living in our local communities should consider leaving a legacy to their church.

St Mary and St Botolph, Church Hevingham

St Mary and St Botolph Church had a prayer answered in the form of a legacy. They needed to replace the lead on the church roof which had been stolen. They decided to go ahead with the work in the summer because they were very fortunate that they had been offered two interest-free loans to settle the account for the repairs which was due the following January. The problem with loans is that they have to be paid back, but just as the invoice arrived they received notification to say that they had been left a legacy. This was such a timely occurrence and we can only imagine the joy that the legacy brought to that parish. It is a lovely thought that we too can bring so much joy after we have gone.

This article is from...

Issue 16

View Issue

Articles in this issue...

What about the “M ” word?

What a gift the Lloyds Bank advert is to us. It addresses head on the reticence many people have talking about money.

God is good, God is great

In summer 2018 the Parish of Great Yarmouth embarked upon a Stewardship Campaign for the first time for several years.

To all the residents of Northrepps: welcome to your church

First of all, a very big thank you to everyone who lives in Northrepps for your help and support in getting our roof fixed – you have been amazing.

Worry less about money

A wise friend of mine who is also a priest, when I was expressing my distaste for stewardship campaigns, said, "but have you noticed that by and large the Churches which talk about money don’t seem to need to worry about it?"

If not a helter-skelter then what will you do?

Most parish churches could not accommodate a helter-skelter but what might you do in your community that would both engage people and provide opportunities for faith conversations?

Funding from the Church of England

The last two editions of the PCC News have featured articles on grant funders that may help when taking on a large-scale project, but who is there to help with the myriad of smaller projects that arise in our churches every day?

Use your church building to tell the story of the Bible

This trail uses pictures in church windows, carvings and decorations around the church to help visitors explore the story of Christianity through the Bible.

A trail or a trial, children’s activities in our churches

Inviting children into our churches is an important part of growing the Kingdom, not only during services but as importantly at other times when families may visit the church for moments of peace or as a Sunday afternoon out to explore our magnificent buildings and the treasures they contain.