Immediately after planting a new church in the neighbouring town of Thame in 2008, Long Crendon Baptist Church (LCBC) started making plans to redevelop the church building.
During the weekend of February 1-2, the church celebrated the opening of its new £1.5m facilities. An Open Day was held for the community on the Saturday, during which thanks were given to the architects, builders and various other community organisations who had offered use of their facilities during the nine months in which the church building was out of action. Visitors were impressed with the transformation of the building.
Thanksgiving service
On the Sunday there was a Thanksgiving Service at which Pastor Jeff Steadman, who retires this year after 36 years at the church, prayed that the building would be dedicated to the glory of God and the congregation recommitted themselves to his service. Pastor Neil Turton gave a short history of the project and highlighted some of the lessons the church had learnt along the way: perseverance when the first planning application was turned down; faith in God’s provision of sufficient money and the right people with the right gifts to complete the project; dependence on God to overcome the various challenges in his timing; and grace towards those opposed to the project.
FIEC Mission Director, Andy Paterson, preached from Matthew 16.13-21 under the heading ‘I will build my church.’ He encouraged the congregation that, in Christ, we can celebrate the victory that has already been won, the victory that is still being won and, pointing to the promises in Revelation, the final victory that will be won.
Everyone in church was very excited. Andy challenged them to start thinking about their next church plant.
