‘If God wants us to have that building, he’ll have to provide the cash!’
That was the consensus reached at a church meeting in October 2016 of Crystal Peaks Church (CPC), a plant from Wycliffe Church in Sheffield, and so people went away to pray about it. A Primitive Methodist Church had come onto the open market. It was about half a mile away from the rented accommodation being used by the church, it had closed its doors in 2015 and now nursery proprietors and developers were sniffing around! CPC was coming up to four years of age and didn’t have two pennies to rub together – let alone £175,000.
Beighton village
But the church suddenly became aware that God had been slowly but surely leading them to Beighton village. CPC’s first convert lived 100 metres from the Methodist Church; they had already taken on an allotment in Beighton; had delivered postcards to around 3,000 Beighton homes during the summer; and were already talking to the Parish Church about using their premises on Sunday afternoons. So, although there had been no strategic plan in mind, God’s hand was clearly at work in Beighton. But there were simply not enough funds!
As members of the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches (EFCC), the obvious thing was to see if any funds were available or, perhaps, a low-interest loan. It was a surprise when the initial request was met with an offer to consider purchasing the building for the church! And, after two key surveys, a number of site meetings, innumerable e-mails and a visit from EFCC Trustees, CPC’s sealed bid was deposited with the agents the week before Christmas.
CPC were delighted, but not surprised, when the bid was accepted. During the initial contact with the Methodist Circuit Office, agreements had been made in principle of renting the church if the offer was accepted. Which meant there were three days to move PA equipment and church paraphernalia out of the existing accommodation in the local library, get it set up or stored away in the church, then spruced up ready for the first Sunday service … on Christmas Day. It was an occasion that none present will ever forget! Then, as soon as the holidays ended, the contractual work began.
But conveyancing wheels move slowly at the best of times. And what for most private homes takes two months, proved to be more than double for a church! But, at noon on Monday 15 May 2017, the contracts were completed and the building became the property of EFCC. Texts and e-mails were met with electronic whoops of delight! God is, indeed, a faithful and good God.
For the next two years, CPC will use the premises as a licensee of the EFCC Trust Corporation, who are now legal owners of the building. During this time there will be discussions between CPC and EFCC about the best future arrangements, with the ultimate aim of CPC owning its own premises and continuing in fellowship with EFCC.
Joys of worship
Already the joys of worshipping in the centre of a long-established community have been discovered. Several visitors from the area have talked of the days when they attended Sunday School in the building as a child. One lady was a Sunday School Gala Queen back in the 1970s. And two elderly Methodists have already booked their funerals! The challenge is to find ways to bridge those contacts and take them to Jesus.
The local primary school has welcomed CPC with open arms and, when an occasional assembly was suggested, asked why it couldn’t be once a week!
At the start of April, the first pastor took up the reins. Martin Daniels has been with CPC since the plant started in January 2013 and, during the rest of this year, will reduce his commitment to his own local business, so that by January 2018 he will be in full-time service.
And, over the first weekend in May – one week ahead of the sale being finalised – CPC celebrated with a number of community events and a Thanksgiving Service.
It appears that 2017/18 will be a busy time at CPC as the church looks to God to guide as they seek to establish an outpost of God’s kingdom in Beighton.
