PRESS RELEASE:

Wanted 12 Disciples

Come Over to Preston to Help Us

 

Embargoed until 9am March 14^th 2008

 

 

A City Centre Baptist Church in Preston is seeking to recruit “twelve disciples” as a team of committed and active Christians to energize their mission to the homeless and young people at risk. The Baptist Times is running a feature article in the hope of attracting long term volunteers, to “Come Over to Preston to Help Us” and the campaign will continue with visits to other churches and a presence at the Baptist Assembly in Blackpool in May.

 

Rev. Neil Jones, minister of the Fishergate Baptist Church said “We are looking for a dozen or so active Christians, to join us in an exciting new venture which we believe will transform lives, renew the life of our congregation, and renovate a historic building for mission and ministry in the 21^st Century”.

 

The twelve will work together as a team developing new social service and outreach ministries to people who use the city centre. They will strengthen the existing ministry through drop in centre activities for homeless people and urban youth, and develop new forms of outreach to shoppers, clubbers and workers who use the city centre by day and night. Each disciple will be expected to worship with the congregation, to offer a minimum of eight hours per week voluntary service and to support themselves financially.

 

The plan has emerged from a year long consultation exercise involving existing users of the church building together with Christians from many different churches, and people representing a range of voluntary and public sector organisations who work with people in need in the city. A recently published report on a day conference held in November sets out the options for the future of the church. An architect has been commissioned to carry out a feasibility study about redeveloping the building to make it fit for worship and ministry in the 21^st Century, in ways that will generate income to secure the future of the church.

 

Fishergate Baptist Church has been meeting in Preston for over 200 years and the present Grade 2 Listed building, close to the Railway Station, County Hall and the Fishergate Shopping centre has been a local landmark since 1858. However, the small and ageing church membership has recognised that they are at a turning point; either a radical new venture that will lead to a sustainable future for the church, or to sell up and let some other group make the best they can of the building.

 

The building, which has survived an IRA bomb blast in 1991, and near hurricane force winds last year, is in immediate need of repairs costing £100,000 and urgently needs to be adapted for disabled access. A major refurbishment to the interior could cost several millions. At the moment the church has no money in hand and is only just beginning to think about fund-raising. As Neil says, “There are three priorities in this order;   Prayer, then the People, then the Project.”

 

Please see the attached leaflet for further information.

 

You can also find out more about the church and the ideas that are emerging on the web at…  http://www.fishergatebaptist.btik.com/   or www.fishergatebaptist.org.uk

 

 

For further information contact   Rev Neil Jones on

01772 862470

 or by email on neilandruth@hotmail.com