Church of the Year

Our church of the year scheme allows local church projects to be supported financially by other churches across the Association. 

If your church would like to apply to become a church of the year, you can download an application form and guidance notes.

Ashdon Baptist and Church from Scratch are our Churches of the Year for 2008/9.  Find out more about their projects | Ashdon | Church from Scratch | PowerPoint

Church Reports

In 2007/8, churches are supporting Ferndale Baptist Church.

With many activities going on, they are looking at ways they can put their buildings and other resources to the best use. Their heating system desperately needs upgrading so their activities can continue through the winter months.

They have already received some support through the generosity of others, and they are trusting that the Lord will provide what they need to maintain their witness in their area. [leaflet (50kB) | PowerPoint (1.6MB)]

In 2006/7, three churches were selected for support: Thaxted, Holly Lodge and Stradbroke. Their reports of how the money has been used are below.

Thaxted Baptist Church

It was a privilege for our Church to be chosen as a Church of the Year. We were a small church but had experienced significant growth in the previous three years. We were attracting people to our Men’s Breakfasts, our informal Dinner events and the growth in numbers was putting a strain on our aging facilities. The Church building is 174 years old and the kitchen and toilets were quite inadequate for our current and future needs. We also had considered the difficulties of access to our Hall and Church for those who were disabled. Consequently, the Church Meeting agreed to a Project to extend the kitchen, provide new toilets and a new Vestibule to our Hall, which would also allow a new access into the Sanctuary for the disabled. The Project was estimated at £50,000, which was a large step of faith for a church, at that time, with an average attendance of 35.

We have been overwhelmed by the support of EBA churches, with gifts large and small. To date we have received £7,500 plus the promise of a few hundred pounds more. One of the gifts was from a church who took a thank offering at the successful completion of their own Building Project, particularly as they had ended the Project Debt Free. This encouraged us to believe, at that time, that we too would be Debt Free on completion. In fact, in faith, we cancelled a loan provision from EBA.

We have now reached our target of £50,000 and are about to start building. However, we believe that there will be extra costs involved, so we still have to look to the Lord.

As a church we are truly grateful to the Lord and the churches of the EBA. It is a wonderful feeling being part of a company of fellow Baptists. As an expression of our gratitude, we decided early on to donate 10% of all the gifts we received from EBA Churches to the two other Churches of the Year. God has indeed honoured our decision in the way we have been provided for in this past year. We have also continued to grow and now have around 45 people in regular attendance. Praise the Lord!

Holly Lodge Baptist Church

Holly Lodge Baptist Church would like to thank all of the churches in the Eastern area who have contributed both financially and through prayer towards the re-building project. The amount received from churches during the last year has been £9,038, which has greatly exceeded expectations and for which we give thanks to God.

Total funding received and expected to date is £640,000. Approximately half of this has come from members of Holly Lodge church, and the remainder has come from a legacy, a sale of a house that the church owns, and from grants from various Trusts or Settlements and external organisations. 

We have received planning permission for all of the re-building and are now at the stage of going out to tender. Our hope and plan is that building work will commence in October this year, to be completed by August 2008.

The anticipated building cost, including fees, is anticipated to be around £730,000, and therefore we are still looking for additional funding of around £90,000. However, it has been our experience that God is in control of events since whenever we have started to wonder where funds will be coming from some other unexpected source emerges. We are situated in one of the neediest areas of Ipswich and we believe that it is God's will to reach out more to the community around us. A new building with proper facilities will help us to do this.

We thank all churches for their help, and look forward to welcoming you to see the new building, God willing, next year.
 

Stadbroke Baptist Church

We entered 2006 with grand plans to improve our Church which would make it more user friendly these included putting glass in the front doors thus allowing folk to see what’s happening inside, creating a foyer in which to greet people, installing new toilet facilities including those for the disabled, providing a area at the back of the church which can double up as a small meeting room or a Crèche with sound proof windows looking directly into the main church building, enlarging and installing a new kitchen to cater for luncheon clubs, outreach and village activities.

We planned to do as much work as possible ourselves and estimated the cost to be approx £25,000.

After many hours of hard work by the members of our fellowship and much goodwill by folk associated with the church even though they do not attend on a regular basis and the engagement of one builder person and electrician we proceeded and finally completed the work with the total cost being £21,500.

At the time of writing we have received £7,273 from other churches in the EBA for which we give praise to God, this along with gifts from our own folk and borrowing from our building fund means that we have been able to pay all our bills.

Even though we do need to replenish our building fund because we have other routine work, which need doing in the near future. We stepped out in faith but this exercise proved to us how great is our God he never lets us down and we have been able to work beside and witness to those who don’t normally come to church but were willing to help us create a building which will be used to the glory of God.

Also it has proved to us the strength of belonging to the wider Baptist family and we thank you all for your gifts and prayers.

The Eastern Baptist Association is a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and a supporter of BMS World Mission

Registered Charity number 1089795
Company limited by guarantee registered in England number 4221429
Registered office: 46 Churchill Road, Thetford, IP24 2JZ