Catford Site Refurbishment
Deb and I came to lead King’s Church in the summer of 1995, 29 years ago. One of the first challenges we faced was the Catford building. The facility had originally been built in 1880 and had served the church well for over a century, but it was now run down and in a poor state of repair. In fact, when it rained one of the elders would run around the room to place several buckets in strategic spots to catch water dripping from the ceiling.
Five years later, in summer 2000, we celebrated the completion of a full refurbishment of the Catford building. It included a new auditorium built onto the back, and we have been gathering there week on week ever since. When we embarked on that first project, we were a church of just 200 people. I will always be grateful to the many people who stood alongside us and double tithed for three years, trusting God to provide the £2 million required. By God’s grace, we have had the joy of seeing thousands of people join us since it was completed, and King’s now meets in four separate locations across south-east London.
It is now 24 years since that first renovation, and we are long past the life expectancy of the roof on the auditorium. Water is coming through the roof when it rains once again. Therefore, as I announced a couple of months ago, the Catford building will be undergoing a major refurbishment this summer. Fortunately, though it may be a bit disruptive at times, we will be able to continue using and worshipping in the venue while the work is being carried out.
Of course, building projects come with a price tag. The good news is we are not asking you to double tithe for three years this time. However, we do need the church to prayerfully prepare for our giving review in October. We are asking for 500 people to increase their giving by at least £20 a month. We will also be taking additional offerings in October 24 and May 25, with a target of £100k on both occasions. This will cover part of the cost of the project, which is budgeted at £750k, and we will be drawing down on some of our reserves for the rest.
Finally, we will be posting a number of guest blogs here over the summer, which I’m sure you will enjoy. I will be around at King's for most of the summer and will be back on here in September.
