Messy determination after fire!

Published 18th March 2016 by jane leadbetter

Please pray for Carol Brown and her Messy Church team at St Paul’s Messy Church, Winlaton, Tyne & Wear NE21, as they endeavour to continue with their Messy Church after fire destroys their hall, using a smaller space at the rear of the building and ordering in PortaloosTM!
Carol says:
‘Along with a dedicated team I have been running a Messy Church at St Paul’s, Winlaton, since June 2013. It has grown from strength to strength with up to 30 children plus their adults at each session. We meet in the church hall on the third Saturday of each month at 10.00 am. Sometimes we go over the road to church for our praise time and sometimes we have it in the all. We are fully supported by our Rector, Father Tom Glover.
‘However, we have suffered a great blow. Our precious church hall was destroyed by fire a few weeks ago. Everything inside was destroyed as was the roof and the building. The building was over 100 years old and loved by the community. The outpouring of love and support we have received from them has been amazing. Of course it is not only Messy Church that uses the hall. Many groups have been affected, but we have lost all our equipment as well as our hall. The only thing to survive was our Ringtons teapot biscuit barrel that we used to collect donations! We took this to be a sign that we would continue. Our listed church is not equipped for meetings, but we hope to have Portaloos installed and a space made available at the back of the church for our activities and lunch. We will probably meet from 10.30 to allow time for preparation as we used to do that on a Friday evening. In the meantime, our hall will be rebuilt and we will be back in possibly by the end of the year.
‘Please remember us in your prayers.’

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