Reordering  

Download the reordering flier:

(which includes the giving form)

Requires Adobe Reader

Current total in the appeal fund:   (nearly) £177 000

Still required from grants and fund-raising:  (approx) £14 000

Next fund-raising event:

February 2008:

Work has begun!! The builders are now in and beginning works - earliest completion anticipated being August 2008. Funding has been raised/secured for the entire project bar £26K, which is the cost of the glass screens for the meeting room.

December 23rd:

We have recently received two grants:

- £2000 from WREN

- £5000 from the "Advance Fund" of the Ely and Newmarket Methodist Circuit.

October 15th:

Work on improving the facilities in the church may begin in December but will not disturb our Christmas Services.  After Christmas, however, there will be a period of around 3-4 months when there will only be limited use of the church building.  However our services, both on Sunday and mid-week, will continue during this time.  Look out for details about the timing of the start of this work and arrangements made for services in this newsletter and on our notice boards.  We’re sorry for any problems that may be caused by the building work and are working to make this disrupted period as short as possible.  The plans are still up in church showing the work to be done, and there is a leaflet about the re-ordering available on the entrance table as well, but if anyone would like to know more please ring Pauline Scott, the Team Vicar, on 698410.  It is a very exciting time for St James’ Church and we are working hard to make sure that the funding to complete the project is in place.  If you are able to help us in any way then again speak to Pauline. 

Information from the Reordering Appeal flier:

2007 is an important turning point for St James’ Stretham.  After running two major buildings in Stretham, the Church and the Parish Rooms, for many years, we  decided that the best way forward for the whole community was to sell the Parish Rooms to the Parish Council to be used as a Village Hall.  We could then use the money from the sale to improve the facilities within the church.

We have a beautiful grade II listed church in Stretham which many people visit over the course of a year.  These include regular worshippers, tourists visiting the area, children coming along to learn about buildings where we worship, families & friends coming to the children’s Christmas Service, those coming along to the Carol service, the Christingle, Remembrance Day service, or family and friends attending a baptism, a wedding or a funeral.

Churches have changed much over the long centuries they have stood as beacons in their communities.  As society changes so too do our expectations of our buildings.  St James’ was extensively re-ordered during the Victorian Era but times have changed!  In 2007 we expect to have toilet facilities, kitchen facilities to serve refreshments after services, concerts, special events etc.  We expect to use the church  building during the week as well as on a Sunday and so a smaller space that can be heated independently is required.  Our ideas of how a church building is used are less rigid than in Victorian times and so we wanted a flexible open area.  And last, but not least, we believe that it is no longer acceptable to be without facilities for those who are disabled.

The re-ordering plans were very well received at our Open Evening on June 5th and the drawings are still available for you to view in church.  In brief, the tower area will be used to provide two toilets (one disabled) and a kitchen, with the floor lowered for disabled access and a separate floor put in to provide a ringing platform for the bells.  A meeting room will be enclosed by glass screens at the far side of the church at the back, with around 4 pews removed to create a flexible space at the back.  The new back pews will then be shortened to give wheelchair users a space to  sit  amongst the rest of the congregation.