StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: JUNE 2011

The new Church entrance and Foyer were dedicated in 2003, during the Ministry of Revd. Darcey Gritzmacher.  She frequently preached about Glass Door Ministry - the opportunity they presented for us to see the world, and be reminded of its needs, as we worshipped.

During the following years, we began to question how we could continue that ministry and how to make our building more appropriate for the needs of the 21st century. 

Chris Cory set up a group to do an in-depth report on a suggested way forward, which was subsequently presented to the Church Meeting. This was discussed, prayed about and then voted upon.  In 2008 and with overwhelming support, it was agreed to proceed with Phase 1, the refurbishment of the worship area.

The StAR Working Party has met monthly throughout the last 2 years, planning, discussing and praying about the way forward.  A fund raising group has arranged various events and St. Andrew's catering group has prepared meals within and beyond the Church. Each of these has drawn people together and in working and praying together, we have grown together as the Church in a new way.

From the beginning it was agreed that 10% of all locally raised money should be given to the Turning Point Trust in Kenya.  Alongside our building work we wanted to help build huts for families to start a new life outside the slum.

With a generous legacy, grants from our parent denominations and other bodies, as well as gifts and fund-raising events from within our Church, we reached our budget figure of £280,000 by the end of 2010 and were able to proceed with building. Now, in May 2011, the building has been rededicated.

 

The project has always been surrounded in prayer, and it is our belief that God has guided us to the point we are at now. In addition, this has never been just a 'building project', but rather more a vehicle by which we, as the people of St. Andrew's, can make our faith more  relevant to the community of Devizes. We continue to pray that we will be led and challenged into new ways of service.

Ruth McGregor

St ANDREW'S REFURBISHMENT (StAR) - MAY 2011

By the end of April, Gaigers will have completed their work and handed the building back to us.  It has been interesting watching how all the work has progressed, all the different trades being there at the right time.

In January, we were removing pews, lifting floor boards, preparing the Hall for worship, all ready for Gaigers to move in.  Remember the scaffolding and our 'stairway to heaven'?  As I look now, it's hard to remember touching the roof!  And now all the structural work is complete.  There are still many things we are arranging ourselves - the carpets, the organ etc. and these will be done during May.

We have been blessed with good workmen who have been anxious to do their very best for us, as indeed has Peter Kent, our Architect. To them all we extend our thanks.

Now we look forward to Dedicating the Church and I hope all of you are able to share this exciting time in our Church life.

Celebration Weekend - May 28th - 30th

We are delighted that our previous Minister, the Rev Darcey Gritzmacher, is able to come from Virginia USA to be with us for the weekend.  She will be preaching at the Celebration on Saturday and at the Sunday morning service.
 

Saturday 28th May: Service of Celebration & Rededication at 3-30pm (by invitation)

Sunday, 29th May:

10-30am. Morning Worship with Communion          

12-30pm Sunday Lunch (the list will be available later on)

  6-00pm.  Celebration Songs of Praise
 

Monday, 30th May Open Day: 10am - 4pm.  Bring your family, neighbours and friends, to look around the Church and have a cup of coffee or tea with us, while music is played on the new organ.

I ask you to continue praying that God will continue to lead us forward, and that we will listen for His words to us.  This, we trust, is a new beginning for us all at St.Andrew's. 

                                                                                                                                        Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: APRIL 2011

The building work is progressing well and, as I write, is on target and in budget.  The builders expect the 'hand over ' to be at the end of April.  There are of course many things which have to be done after that time, before we can use the Church again - organ installation, carpets, sound system and so on. We will continue to worship in the Hall until we Dedicate the Church at the end of May.

Celebration Weekend - May 28th - 30th

We are delighted to give you details of our celebrations to rededicate the Church and we invite you to share in the events planned.  It has been our wish to make this a special time and so we are very pleased that our previous Minister, the Rev Darcey Gritzmacher, is able to come from Virginia USA to be with us for the weekend.  We trust that those who have come to St Andrew's since Darcey's ministry here, will appreciate her love of God and her love of life, as she shares with us.  She will be preaching at both the Celebration on Saturday and at the Sunday morning service.

Saturday 28th May:
Service of Celebration & Rededication at 3.30 p.m. (by invitation)

Sunday, 29th May:
10.30 a.m. Morning Worship with Communion          
12.30 p.m. Sunday Lunch (the list will be available later on)
6.00 p.m.  Celebration Songs of Praise

Monday, 30th May Open Day:
10.00 am. - 4.00 p.m.  Bring your family, neighbours and friends, to look around the Church and have a cup of coffee or tea with us.

In amongst our excitement at all that is happening, I urge you to continue to pray for the life and outreach of St Andrew’s, particularly as we look to ways of fulfilling our mission to BE Gods' people in the world. May we listen to God, to hear what He is asking of each one of us.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: MARCH 2011

As I write, work on the Church building is well under way.  The false ceiling has gone and the scaffolding now reaches to the top of the roof - I know because I've been up there and touched the ceiling!!  The whole ceiling is now well insulated and ready for painting.  The wiring for the lighting is all in place and by the end of the month the scaffolding will be removed ready to do the rest of the building.  Work is also underway on the new heating system.  Workmen have been crawling along tunnels underneath the Church to take pipes from one side to the other.  I didn't try that bit!!  Things are progressing well. 
 

We have been truly blessed.  We have good and friendly workmen doing the work, who are all doing their very best for us and things are going well 
 

Every Wednesday at 7.00 p.m. a group meets by the ramp to pray and sing a hymn. Please feel free to come along and share in this.  And please pray for God's continued blessing as we seek his way forward.
 

We are now turning our minds to the Re-dedication Celebration. This has now been fixed for Saturday and Sunday May 28th and 29th. Please book the date.  Further details will appear later.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: FEBRUARY 2011

The work has started ! We celebrate the God who has guided us over these months of planning and preparation. We rejoice that we are now seeing that vision gradually become a reality.

I know for some people this is not an easy time - please be assured that I stand alongside you. This is the Church that I grew up in and the day the furniture began to be dismantled, I had a sad heart - for what had been. But I trust the God who not only nudges us to move forward, but also promises to always be with us. In this time of change, I pray that we may grow together in a new and exciting way, and that we discover new and challenging ways of sharing the Gospel as we continue to move forward.

We have been blessed with so many offers of help in preparation for Gaigers to start work. Well over 30 people came in to remove pews, lift carpets, move hymn books, make coffee, drive to Ed Lee's store or to the recycling centre. To each one, a very special thank you, and for those unable to help, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

We are grateful for all the gifts of money towards chairs. Over £5,000 has been donated and we thank you. If anyone else would like to donate a chair, as a memorial or a thank gift, please speak to Brian King. The cost is £80 each.

Several fundraising events are planned - look out for these events. Thank you for all your support

These are exciting times.  Let us grow together as His Church in this place.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: JANUARY 2011

We praise God that we are now in a position to begin work on the Church refurbishment.  StAR will now become a reality !

The responsibility of StAR is now in the hands of the Church Council although there still will be some things for the StAR group to do.  As a Church, we are very grateful for the commitment of the group, and personally, I thank each one for their work and support.  We have travelled a long way together.

We have done our best to order what we can before the increase in VAT.  Chairs, the organ, the carpet and furniture are all on order and paid for.

We anticipate that the contractor will commence work on 17th January.  However, there is a lot to do before that as we are undertaking the removal of all the existing fixtures ourselves.  If you have any time available from 3rd until 15th January please drop in and lend a hand.  After that, the Church, including the Foyer, will be in the hands of the contractor.  Please note, too, that the car park will be for the sole use of the contractor during working hours.  Please respect this, and park elsewhere for meetings during the day.  Evening meetings will be unaffected, although there may be a skip parked there.

The service on 2nd January will be the last in the Church.  After that, we will meet in the Hall and we hope that everyone will be comfortable.  Please speak to one of the Elders if there is anything that you find difficult.

We are grateful to St. John's Church, for the use of the Parish Room, for our  weekly coffee mornings.  Please watch the notice sheet for these.  We invite you to continue to support them.

We ask you to pray for the work that is starting. As we stand on the edge of this exciting time, please pray that we may grow together as the family of St.Andrew's and may know the love of God surrounding us.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: DECEMBER 2010

We have been overwhelmed by God's goodness to us. There have been times when our vision seemed to slip away from us - we have faced the biggest financial crisis for years and everyone is having to be careful with their money.
But all the time, we have felt God calling us onward and His words 'Do not be afraid' have echoed in our hearts.

During the last few weeks, we have received confirmation of a £25,000 Grant from Community First, which administers the Landfill Communities Fund, and also the Wiltshire United Area, of which St.Andrew's is a part, has agreed a further grant of £20,000. They have already awarded us £35,000 but have confidence in our project and want to enable us to commence work as soon as possible.

The work of applying for grants has been the responsibility of Michael Simmonds, who has spent many hours working on application forms, and we, as a Church, are grateful to him for this dedicated work.

Many people have offered to purchase a chair and for that we are really grateful.
If you haven't yet done so and wish to, please speak to Brain King or me as soon as possible.

So, now we have sufficient funding to say that we are ready to start work !! We are awaiting the replies from our selected contractors to see which will be awarded the work. Chairs, carpeting, sound equipment, radiators and the organ are all on order and will be paid for before the rise in VAT.

As I write, it is envisaged that work will commence on January 17th. However, as we have agreed to do certain work before the builders move in, the service on January 2nd will be in the Church, and from then onwards we will meet in the Hall, probably for 3 or 4 months. Please watch out for any changes to this plan - we will keep you well informed.

StAR is about more than our building. It is about us - each one of us - our relationship with God and with each other. During the last two years of fund raising events, prayer groups and discussions, we have worked, and grown together, and I believe that through those events we have become a stronger body of people, ready to look beyond ourselves. We must continue to listen to God, and listen to each other, that we may continue to know His leading in our corporate lives as the people of St.Andrew's.

I want to personally thank the members of the Leadership team, for their commitment and support. We have come a long way together. Their work will continue for several months yet, so please continue to pray for God's sustaining power as we move into the next phase of the work.
                                                                                                                              With blessings, Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: NOVEMBER 2010

God is good !! During the last month or so, we have had several events that have raised considerable sums of money and we are very grateful for the hard work and commitment of those involved. As a result, our 'locally raised' money has increased by almost £5,000.  This, together with a Grant from the Garfield Weston Trust of £5,000, makes our budget figure a little closer. We still await the decision regarding our application to the Landfill Trust. We should have a letter from them by the end of October.

At that point, we will have a clearer picture of how and when we proceed with our work. Please continue to pray that God will guide us and that we will know His leading in all that we undertake.

Many people have responded to our invitation to buy a chair for the new worship area, and we thank you for your involvement. If you haven't done so yet, and would like to help in this way, I or Brian King will be delighted to speak with you. The cost is £80 per chair. It is hoped that we will have a list of donors (unless you prefer to give anonymously) made available, so you may like to give a chair as a memorial, or as a thank offering. If you have indicated that you would like to give a chair, Brian will be pleased to receive your cheque at any time now.
Thank you all for your commitment to St. Andrew's and its future.

Just as an update on progress, we have had several meetings with the architect, who has made approaches to several builders and we await to hear their interest. We have also met with a furniture manufacturer whose work appeals to us. It is our hope that some of the movable items can be bought before the VAT rises in January.

The boiler room floor has now been concreted and levelled - thank you to the men who undertook this task and to their coffee makers! This will now provide us with plenty of storage space when we clear the gallery. If you can help with this task, please let Neil or Rodney know when you are able to help. It would be good to have a working party in place so that we can be well prepared.

You will remember that we are giving 10% of locally raised money to the Turning Point Trust in Kenya. Another £600 has recently been sent and this is helping them in their work and we are sharing the good things we have received.

Please speak to any member of the StAR Team if there is anything you would like to know. They will be pleased to share their enthusiasm with you,

Please continue to pray for God's blessing and leading as we go forward.

Greetings, Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: OCTOBER 2010

At the Church Meeting on Saturday, September 18th, a full report was given on the progress of the StAR project, and our financial position.  Much work has been done on finalising our plans, colour scheme etc. We are encouraged by the amount of money we can now identify towards our budget figure of £280,000. We thank God for the way that we have been guided and supported in all our planning and work in the two years since we launched StAR.  Please see the notice board in the back of the Church for the current position.

We are still awaiting the decision on 2 grant applications which, if favourable, could help us to reach our target, and enable us to begin!!

We are conscious of the increase on VAT in the New Year, and so it is our intention to purchase the chairs before Christmas and store them.  This will save us several hundred pounds.  One way you might consider helping, is to buy a chair or two, maybe in celebration of an event, or in memory of someone.  Names will be entered in our book of remembrance.  The cost will be £80.00 each and if you would like to help, I will be pleased to speak with you, and add your name to our list.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: SEPTEMBER 2010

We are into a time of making big decisions. The StAR group has chosen the colour scheme for the refurbished Church and we are grateful to an interior designer who has inspired us with her designs. We hope that you will be as excited as we are. When the big window blew in during the gales a few years ago and had to be rebuilt, we somehow knew that it would become important to us. For something like 40 years the window was hidden behind the false ceiling. But the refurbishment will change all that !

When the ceiling is removed, we will see it in its full glory - and that has inspired the colour scheme. How privileged we are to have such glorious windows.

Please take time to look at the board in the Church which illustrates fully the way the colours are to be used. It is our intention to carpet the whole Foyer area with an interesting matting that will be welcoming and draw people on into the rest of the Church. This should cause no problem to the coffee mornings as the screen between the foyer and Church will draw right back, and give much more room for tables and chairs.

The Church floor will be wood and sealed to protect it. This will aid the acoustic qualities of the building and will also be suitable for all needs. The Chancel, including the area for the organ, and the steps, will be carpeted with a good quality carpet.

The choice of chair colours is bold and exciting. Each is found in the windows and will bring colour and vibrancy to our renewed building. It is our hope that we might buy some of the furniture before the VAT increase in January.

We are still discussing the lighting and sound details, but watch this space !! We are choosing modern, energy-efficient radiators that will heat the rooms quickly. And all the rooms will only be heated when required, so we are doing as much as we can to be environmentally friendly.

We are still waiting to hear from a couple more grant giving organisations. Please look at the board to see how our financial position stands. We thank God for the way that He has led and guided us, enabling us to be in this position only 2 years from launching our scheme. Thank you for all that you have done and are continuing to do for StAR. If you feel in a position to offer a gift towards completing our scheme, please speak to me.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: JULY 2010

The StAR Group has been working hard over the last several months and we are very aware of the amount of prayer that is continually being offered as we seek God’s will for all we are doing and seek to do.

We are all longing to see the work we are planning become a reality, as we make our Church the place we believe God wants it to become for the coming years. When we launched the scheme for the Worship Area, we estimated that we needed to raise £280,000. At this moment, we can identify something over £200,000 all of which is either money in our account or confirmed promises. We thank God for this considerable effort and the generosity of those who have made this possible. Over recent weeks, considerable time and energy has gone into Grant applications to various organizations, to see whether they are willing to support the work we are trying to do. Each of these applications takes several days to complete as every one is different and requires different kind of details. However, we now pray that as the various committees meet to discuss applications, we may be looked upon favourably and we await replies from them. Please continue to pray that God’s hand will touch those who have to make decisions.

It is good to know that 10% of all locally raised money is going to Kenya to be used to help re-house families from the Kibera slum. I know that Michael and Jean will have more to tell us about that.

Various fund raising activities are planned—and we invite your support and encourage you to bring along family and friends. The catering group is now undertaking teas on the canal barges and are willing to cater for any event you may have coming up. We rejoice in all that is happening and we hope you, too, will share our enthusiasm.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: MARCH 2010

Winter has been with us a long time this year, and we are now into Lent, and yet Christmas doesn't seem that long ago.  Although we have put away the decorations, the message of Christmas is always with us.   Each year something new jumps out of that so familiar story and helps me see another aspect of God's gift to the world.   This year, I saw something new in the importance of the star and that has stayed with me ever since.  It was the star that not only led the wise men on their journey, but also pointed to where the child was. It stood over the place and pointed them to Jesus.

It seems to me, that that is exactly what the mission of StAR is  - OUR mission - to point people to Jesus. We should be ready to help people on their journey through life, to be there when we are needed, and to make ourselves and our building available to the community around us.  The star challenges us to point people to Jesus and that should be at the forefront of all we do. 

On behalf of the StAR Committee, I would like to thank you for your support and encouragement during the last year.  Sometimes we feel it’s all taking such a long time, but we are well over half way to reaching our target figure.   We are now looking to the wider Church and to outside agencies for grants towards our work.   We have  been promised a £15,000 grant from the Methodist District, mostly to encourage our work with 'Messy Church' and other children's work.

Alongside our fundraising, we are pledging 10% of locally raised money to support the work of Turning Point Trust in Kenya.  To date we have sent £1,200 which will help their work in bringing hope to people in the slum of Kibera.   It is good to remember that we are part of the world Church and that our help can make a real difference to people's lives, being a Star for them too.

We are producing another news sheet  with more details of progress and fundraising - do look out for it.  Please continue to pray that God will lead us onward and that we may never lose sight of the Star. 

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: SEPTEMBER 2009

It is now a year since we launched our exciting and challenging scheme to refurbish our Church.
It is our hope that we can reach out to the community and make our building more available to them and also begin to look at ways that we can worship God in new and exciting ways with a more flexible worship area.

Much has happened during this year which is encouraging and leads us forward with confidence.
We firmly believe that God is leading us and in Him we place our trust. We are grateful to Hilary Bum who produces the regular prayer sheet, which we can all use at home. In this we are encouraged to pray for our Church and all that we undertake in the name of our God. It also builds us up as His body, both as individuals and as the people of St. Andrews. A small, but faithful group meets fortnightly at Johan Ogilvie’s home to pray for the life of the Church. You are warmly invited/encouraged to be part of this praying community, either in a group or using the prayer sheet at home.

At the present time, our architect is drawing more detailed plans so that we can get firms to quote for the work needed. This will give us a better idea of how much more money we need to raise before work can begin on Phase 1 — The Worship Area.
But be encouraged!! We are getting there!!
Fund raising is going on and we can begin to see our way forward. We are also looking at any ways we can undertake some of the work ourselves and already we have had offers in this direction.
If you think you can help in any way, please speak to me.

One aspect of the project, is a new and ‘green’ central heating system. This was intended to be undertaken as part of the major work, but our present boiler has been on borrowed time for a couple of years. (Thank you, Clive, for nursing it so lovingly through the last couple of years.) So we are pushing this forward and the new energy efficient boiler will be installed during the second half of September. For the time being this will be connected to the existing radiators. I hope that we might have an ‘Indian Summer’, but please be aware that we may be unable to have heat in the Church until the beginning of October. May I, therefore, ask that you look at the weather and come to Church with an extra coat if you need to.

Please continue to pray for the project, that we might seek God’s will for us , and for those who have been entrusted to see this project through, that we keep our eye on the guidance of God and seek only His will.

Ruth McGregor

StAR NEWS from Ruth McGregor: MAY 2009

Greetings to you all from the StAR project team!

Inevitably, with schemes such as ours, there is a time when nothing seems to be happening, but I want to assure you that there are lots of things quietly going on.  We have had several meetings with our architect, visits from lighting, sound and heating engineers, an asbestos survey, as well as the opportunity to view types of chairs suitable for Church use and to see and hear the type of digital organ we might purchase.  We are trying to get outline costings for each section of work, so that we can be realistic about the moneys we need.

So, I want to thank you for your support of StAR events during the winter months and to encourage you as you read the amounts we have raised.  Of course, in the light of the amount required, these are relatively small, and so we ask you to prayerfully consider whether you are able to give a lump sum, or to promise one, to enable us to proceed with our planned refurbishment more quickly.  We realise that money is difficult at the moment, but if you are able to respond in this way, please speak in confidence to Brian King or me.  At the moment, we have around £150,000 - including anticipated grants and pledges - which is something short of half we require for Phase 1.

The following is money raised at recent events for which we are very grateful.

Other events and gifts including the sale of Pauline's cards, Dorothy's "bricks", Sunday lunches etc,  over £500.

As I write, Dora White's husband Brian, is walking from London to Devizes along the canal.  What a feat!  feet!!  He has received at least £1000 in sponsorship, half of which is for StAR, so we thank Brian for this great effort.

Other events being planned include 4th May, the Big Breakfast in the Hall and a plant and bric-a-brac stall in the Market Place; a Summer festival, July 2nd -5th, during which we will be welcoming the Chippenham Male Voice Choir.  I hope you will encourage your friends and neighbours to share these exciting events.  More details on these later.

It is only in God's strength that any of our plans are possible.  We believe God is calling us to new ways of being Church in the complex world we live in today.  Prayer is an important part of StAR and we are grateful to Hilary Burn for our monthly prayer sheet which I encourage you to use regularly.  There is a prayer group that meets fortnightly at Johan Ogilvie's home, 14 The Ark.  If more people could meet to pray, we could start more groups and really encircle the Church and StAR in prayer.

We continually need to draw on the strength God provides.  Please pray for the leadership team and all the decisions that have to be made.  Please pray, too, that sufficient money will be forthcoming to enable us to proceed with our exciting project.  Thank you for your love and support.

Ruth McGregor