Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
We are currently in the process of planning for the redevelopment of our building, the Water Eaton Church Centre. We are doing this in partnership with St Frideswide’s, the other congregation with whom we share the building.
The main feature of our redevelopment will be the construction of a new roof, although this also includes significant changes inside our building too.
A Prayer for the Building Project:
Almighty God, we long to see your kingdom come in this community and beyond. Thank you for your provision in so many ways over so many years. Please keep our eyes, ears, hearts and minds open to your Holy Spirit. Guide us safely as we plan together for the future mission and ministry of Water Eaton Church Centre. Please send us the resources we need to do the work that you are calling us to do. Amen.
Updated information and progress on our building project will be added below:
10th September 2025 – Approval of Planning Application
Great news! On 10th September we received news that our planning application for the building project to MK Council has been approved! This is a significant moment in the journey to realising our hopes for a renewed Water Eaton Church Centre, fit for ministry and mission for the next generation. Our deepest thanks to Grindley Architects for their excellent work on this.
We would like to also reiterate our thanks to everyone who has made a contribution to our fundraising appeal, which we launched at our wonderful anniversary celebrations back in June.
Further fantastic news is that the total of this appeal stands at £341,844.
This is a combination of one-off gifts, pledges to be received at some point in the future, or regular monthly gifts (projected over the coming three years). A total of 76 yellow envelopes were returned and the balance of the support was broadly equal across the congregations of St Frideswide’s and Spurgeons. It is humbling and inspiring to have seen such a display of support for the plans, trust in one another and faith in God’s provision.
This means that our WECC building development fund now stands at £503,880 (a combination of money in the bank and projected giving over the next three years).
We now enter a phase of further fundraising and discernment. Grindley Architects are now renewing the cost plan of the project. They and our fundraising consultant (Andrew Clark of Church Grants) will be supporting us in planning for what we can realistically achieve. There will be opportunity for the church and community to feed into this process in the months ahead. Whatever happens, there will be significant improvements to our building in the next few years, and this will only be possible thanks to the generosity of our church members.
In the meantime, let’s continue to pray that God will provide us with the resources we need to do the work God is calling us to do.
14th July 2025 – Interim Update on Internal Appeal
Our All Under One Roof pledging month, which we launched at our Anniversary Celebrations at the beginning of June has so far raised (to July 8th) over £200,000!
A total of 46 yellow envelopes have been returned so far, from a combination of individuals, couples and families, and the total is roughly equally shared across the congregations of St Frideswide’s and Spurgeon Baptist Church.
In summary, as of 8th July 2025, we have together raised a projected total of £448,873 for our joint building development fund, a portion of which has already been used for pre construction project costs, such as architectural designs and planning submission. It is our intention that once we have received planning permission (hopefully at the end of this month), we will be able to update you more fully with regard to this initial internal phase of fundraising, and what the results might mean for us as we look ahead. We will plan for a more formal update at the start of next term.
June 2025 – Celebrating 50 Years and Looking Ahead
On 7th-8th June, we celebrated 50 years since the opening of the Water Eaton Church Centre. As part of these celebrations, we also looked to the future for how we can make our building sustainable for another 50 years… and beyond!
Significant progress is being made to ensure we are ready to apply for planning permission. As part of this, we need to know how much our congregations are willing to give so we can achieve the required amount needed for redevelopment. Pledge packs have been distributed and are available on the main table outside the worship area for this purpose. If you are a regular, please do pick one up and prayerfully consider what you are willing to give towards the project.
February 2025 – New Air Source Heat Pump And Solar Panels Installed
We are pleased to say that our new hybrid Air Source Heat Pump and solar panels have been installed. The two systems together will help reduce our reliance on burning fossil fuel to heat our building and make for a greener, cleaner building.
January 2025 – Installation of New Air Source Heat Pump and Solar Panels
The Joint Church Council has been successful in obtaining a significant government grant to fund carbon reduction and energy efficiency measures. In summary, this means we will replace our gas boiler with a new hybrid Air Source Heat Pump and we will have new solar panels installed on the church roof. The two systems together will help reduce our reliance on burning fossil fuel to heat our building and make for a greener, cleaner building.
The work to install these will take place between 15th January and 14th February. More information can be found here.