Martin Williams and Christoph Lindner present a slideshow that formed the basis of the relocation briefings at St James on 12 and 13 January 2011. Length: 25 minutes

• with led prayers at intervals throughout the evening
• times of quiet for personal, private prayer

EQUIP SJ is about equipping the church for mission, whether in Gerrards Cross and Fulmer or another part of the world. One key part of that vision is the role that every member of the St James community plays in their daily life – we are all sent!

St James members tell us how they are witnesses for Christ in their everyday life – Monday to Saturday…
This is the extended version of a video shown at some of our services on Sunday 28 March.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our church building needs to be flexible to host a wide variety of new and existing ministries.

Ever since St James Gerrards Cross was built each generation has ensured that the building has fulfilled its potential for reaching the community with the saving love of Christ.

When we embarked on Project 2000 in the late 1990s, we always planned that we would not only re-develop the site with the Saint James Centre but also that the church building would be equipped and developed for its 21st century mission.

The re-ordering plans will enable us to:

• Extend the current foyer area and to join it up with the extension to create a flexible gathering and meeting area.
• Renovate the interior to enhance many of its original architectural features with good lighting, well concealed audiovisual technology and redecoration.
• Install sympathetic yet effective audio and visual equipment for a variety of worship and teaching settings.
• Create a flexible worship and meeting space in the main body of the church giving both increased comfort from chairs and maximum flexibility for Sunday and midweek activities.
• Modify the chancel to create flexible space for both traditional and contemporary services.

Imagine… a Gerrards Cross church building and site that is teeming with life and ministry to all ages every day of the week throughout the year – where 21st century facilities equip the people of God to proclaim Christ to the community and the wider world.

More on Mission Context I:

Click on “Mission Context I” in the menu bar and select one of the articles (click “Continue Reading” for the whole article) or select one of the following:

Video: Everyday missionaries from St James

Video Walk-through

Walk-through: Images with comments

Eras of St James Gerrards Cross

Or read the introduction to EQUIP SJ and all three mission contexts here…

If you cannot see the video below, please click on the title of this entry (“Walk-through Video of…”) to see the full article with the embedded video!

What next?

Can I get a guided tour of this video with explanations?

How has St James Gerrards Cross changed over the years?

Where is the article that explains the rationale behind the re-ordering?

Main Entrance and Foyer

Main entrance to foyer with new canopy extending over the steps. The support for the canopy will also house a church notice board. This will mark out our main entrance more clearly from the road. At the back the foyer opens up into the church extension.

View from church extension to main entrance

The floor of the church extension will be raised to the level of the foyer. A movable wall will allow us to use the extension as a separate meeting room or to create a large foyer. Large sky light in the extension to provide plenty of natural daylight with a view of the bell tower. Behind the camera position: a door to link the extension directly with the church (cf. last photo, below).

View of sanctuary

New sanctuary arrangement: semicircular platforms, mirroring the arrangement of chairs. Height of these platforms will most likely be adjustable. New, retractable video screen (i.e. no obstruction of view of East windows by projector and screen for services and events that do not require projection).
Please note: the details of the platform design need to be finalised (e.g. steps are missing on the far left and far right of this simulation! Also, the sanctuary will be carpeted). Similarly, the sanctuary furniture has not been designed yet – most of the furniture is therefore missing on this image (the eagle lectern will be retained).

View of nave

Chairs throughout, arranged in a semicircle at the front and gently raised at the back left for better visibility. The stone font will move from the west end to the north transept. Sound controls will move to the south transept. New connecting door behind left pillar into church extension.
Please note: No final decision has been made on the chair model. These are for illustration purposes.

What next?

Can I see the video now?

How has St James Gerrards Cross changed over the years?

Where is the article that explains the rationale behind the re-ordering?

]]> http://equipsj.org.uk/2010/03/a-walk-through-of-the-computer-simulation-with-comments/feed/ 0 http://equipsj.org.uk/2010/03/eras-of-st-james-gerrards-cross/ http://equipsj.org.uk/2010/03/eras-of-st-james-gerrards-cross/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:22:39 +0000 administrator http://equipsj.org.uk/?p=289 [Continue Reading]]]> “We need not remind you of the connection of the gospel of Christ with our temporal and eternal happiness. Religion affords the best guarantee for our welfare even in this world; for godliness has the promise of the life that now is; but Oh! How unspeakably more important is the connection with the happiness of our immortal souls…may the pure doctrines of the reformation; faith in the death and merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only grounds for our acceptance with God, and of sanctification by the holy spirit as the evidence of faith, ever resound within its walls.”

(Letter to the Reid Sisters 1869)

In each generation the people of God have sought to ensure that the original vision of the Reid sisters to make Christ known through the ministry of this local church was kept alive and vibrant. Various changes have been made to the building that sought to maximise its potential for Gospel ministry in each generation. Here are just some of the works undertaken by those who have gone before us:

1908
Electric light

1909
New organ, new vestry, new choir stalls and pulpit

1953
Re-wiring, enlarged vestries, erection of the Church Hall

1955
Church extension

1961
New Cedar Hall

1970
New larger Chancel, west end gallery, rebuilt organ, additional seating to accommodate growth in numbers attending

1977
New entrance hall (foyer) with lavatories

1983
New amplification system

1984
New lighting

1997
New disabled access arrangements

2006
New Saint James Centre opened

St James before 1909

St James after 1909. Note new pulpit and organ

Decorating for the Centenary, 1959 (no organ balcony yet)

St James in the early 1970s. Note: Main entrance at the back, no foyer yet.

St James 2011 (computer simulation)

What next?

Can I see a video of the computer simulation?

Where is the article that explains the rationale behind the re-ordering?

]]> http://equipsj.org.uk/2010/03/eras-of-st-james-gerrards-cross/feed/ 0