The Church That Went Under

'If I was going there, I wouldn't start from here.' There is a sense in which the parish church of St. Nicholas, Sevenoaks, found itself in a similar predicament.

It was built for medieval England. To transform this ancient building into one which meets 21st-century needs would be no simple task. It would have been a lot easier to design something new. But that was not an option. Its members had to start from where they were.

The story of this church's transformation covers 30 years, and hopes were raised and dashed many times over that period.

St. Nicholas has a long history. Some local historians date its earliest part as far back as AD 950, and evidence of a Saxon building was found during the archaeological excavations which preceded the construction of the undercroft. Together with the symbol of the seven acorns representing the famous seven oak trees, St. Nicholas has been almost synonymous with the name of the town itself for over a thousand years. Travellers used its grounds as a safe place to camp overnight, while travelling down the old road to Rye, superseded now by the A21, a mile to the west. And over the centuries since, townspeople have doubtless sought comfort from its presence, if not within its walls, as they prayed for God's protection from the Black Death and the Plague, and as they remembered their fathers, sons and brothers in the two World Wars.

13th century design!

The church stands at the far southern end of the High Street, almost opposite Sevenoaks School, which was founded in the reign of Elizabeth I. It is surrounded by a typical town graveyard, and the headstones tell the stories of Sennockian families over hundreds of years. The road through the town goes into a bottleneck bend. This part of the town was designed for the 13th century! But then the road opens out, and the church comes into view, bringing the Anglo-Saxons, Elizabethans, Jacobeans, Victorians and Edwardians all into the context of time, and of eternity. It has served every age as a place of Christian worship. Whether one believes anything, or nothing at all, a medieval building like this is a fine sight.

Visitors could drive past now and be forgiven for thinking nothing has changed. Such was the genius of the way the new facilities have been designed, for they are underground.

Everyone knew that to build underground would cost money, a great deal of money - well over £2,000,000. Church members also knew that there were no massive trusts to draw from. There was a parish hall, half a mile away, which could be sold, but even that would raise only a small proportion of what was needed. And the early 1990s was not an easy time financially.

More space

This was the context in which it became clear that St. Nicholas Church badly needed more space. Previous rectors had worked extremely hard to have earlier plans for an extension accepted, but for one reason or another, they had come to nothing. Then Miles Thomson arrived as the 51st Rector of Sevenoaks in 1987, and was given a special remit to sort out the accommodation needs. Within a few years, a suitable scheme had been devised, but it was dauntingly ambitious and expensive. Would it be accepted in the difficult economic climate? And even if it was, how would the money be raised?

A story for others

I tell the story of success for three reasons. First, so the people of Sevenoaks who love their town, and who love the landmark of St. Nicholas, can read the inside story. Secondly, so that members of the church family, many of whom have arrived since the building work was completed, can be filled in on what happened. Thirdly, for the sake of churches up and down the country who are finding their own buildings inadequate, to show what can be done.

This is not a 'success story' in the sense of moving from one easy goal to the next, and on to win the Cup. Over a period of 30 years, there were all sorts of setbacks, as plans were proposed, then rejected. Those closely involved have vivid memories of times when it seemed plain that God was on their side, and of times when the biggest impact seemed to come from those who wanted the whole project forgotten. But they pressed on.

£2m is a lot of money!

Faith and finance are completely intertwined in a story like this. Here was a church with around 350 adults in services on any given Sunday. Some earned substantial salaries and spent their working days dealing with finance. For them, it was easier to put the figure in perspective. But they were in the minority. Middle-income families made up the largest numbers. One can imagine some of the thoughts going through their minds as they wanted to play their part and wondered how things might be juggled. Then there were pensioners, young singles and newly-married couples, many with more limited incomes. A few of the longest-standing members had never owned their own homes, or through the change in government policy had only recently purchased them from the council. To see this project through, everyone needed to pull together; to contribute what they could, indeed all they could. The church was a family, and there was no distinction in that regard between those in professions and those in more modestly-paid employment.

Act of obedience

The idea of hiring a professional fundraiser was considered. With such a huge sum in view, it might have seemed sensible to hire people with experience in this 'art'. However, after contacting one or two fundraisers, and on the advice of those who had undertaken similar projects elsewhere, it was decided not to do this. The church family would need to give most of the money themselves.

Through this act of obedience, they would prove that 'he is no man's debtor'. This was not to condemn other Christians for handling their appeals more publicly. But it was the agreed way ahead for St. Nick's.

The Sevenoaks Chronicle covered the story well, and kept townspeople in the picture as to progress. Here was a seven-figure building fund, and the first figure was not a one. The sheer magnitude of the amount was news in itself, and it became a topic of dinner party conversation across the town. Public money is one thing. This was personal money. Wasn't it taking religion a bit too far?

Understandably, perhaps, some held back. They were not confident that sufficient money would be raised. Once they saw the level of giving rise, they too would give. In a major project like this, the balance between those who will give in faith and those who want to see success round the corner first is critical. 'Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief,' must have been the essence of many people's prayers as they filled in their covenants and wrote their cheques.

Special work of God

It is a false hope to think that presently unknown trusts 'out there' will somehow save a congregation from having to give money for building projects. Less than £20,000 came from outside sources for the undercroft in the end. As one church member said: 'This is really just housekeeping. Of course we expected to pay for it ourselves.'

The diagram shows how individuals or families contributed to 'Building for the Gospel'. It also shows the joint effort of those with large incomes, those with middle incomes and those with smaller incomes, of pensioners, and of young people with pocket money. This was a spiritual enterprise, not a competition for the size of gift, and people were encouraged to give cheerfully, and as they were able.

Was this a special work of God, right here in south-east England? Sevenoaks residents must make up their own minds. The members of St. Nicholas believe it was.

Reprinted with permission from The Church That Went Under, by Julia Cameron, Paternoster Press.

Effective giving

There are both practical and spiritual lessons to learn from a project like St. Nick's:

* All gifts are important. No gift is too small to consider. All promote a sense of involvement and commitment.

* Sustained, sacrificial giving is the most effective. Regular giving becomes part of one's way of life. The sums donated earn interest, and often attract tax relief. The combined effect is very striking. In this project, the combined income from interest and tax recoveries was over £500,000.

* The most tax-effective way is giving through the Gift Aid scheme (for lump sums) and through deeds of covenant, or through institutions like the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

* For individuals and families, it is important to plan and budget for giving. It may help to set the sum aside in a separate account. In that way it does not get diverted unintentionally.

* If you cannot afford to give money, give your abilities, and don't underestimate the value of giving time to prayer.

* Be a cheerful giver.

* Remember that all we have comes from God. We are merely giving back a small part of that.

* God rewards our giving many times over, spiritually.