September letter 2026

‘Building a Church’ image courtesy of Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

Dear Friends

When Jesus called his friend Simon a new name, Peter, or Rocky, he also said ‘on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overpower it’. Jesus wanted his disciples to build his church. He saw church as a group of people who would be added to. Building houses seems to be a constant theme in our part of the world. Building the church of God is the permanent theme of Jesus’ call to his people.

However, there is a bit of a problem with this terminology for us. In our English language, church means a building as well as God’s people. There can be confusion in our use of the word church. However, this should not hold us back. Why not have a calling to build the building and build the people? Improve the fabric and facilities of the building and increase the numbers of worshippers of Jesus Christ. Build the church and build the church!

At St Luke’s we want to develop the building and add to the people. Last year we saw increases in the number of churchgoers at all of our three weekly services: 9am and 10.30 on Sundays, and 10.30 short communion on Wednesdays. Even more encouraging, we saw a significant increase in the number of churchgoers who came back again for a weekly fellowship group. Eighty names on the list. A doubling in the number of groups from 3 to 6. We wish to build the building and build the people.

This year our focus is on building the building. In 2030, St Luke’s Church building marks 600 years. As we prepare for this milestone, our church leaders are making plans to celebrate its impressive heritage, and to seek to address its deficiencies. We plan a 600+ Project to see whether we could provide a safer more accessible main entrance, a toilet facility, a safer emergency exit from the balcony, a larger space for people to mix and mingle as they arrive and leave, a better space at the front for worship leaders and concert performers, a facility to help serve refreshments after events, a better environmental heating system. Maybe you could think of other ways to improve the church building at St Luke’s?

Take a Community Questionnaire and let us know. They can be collected from Saturday 12th September when the church will be open (between 12 and 2pm) for visitors to see a 600+ presentation. Questionnaires need to be returned by 10th October to be included in the draw (£50 prize) on Saturday 17th when we will again be open for a first report of the Questionnaire results and an early idea of architect’s plans, as we seek to bring the church building into the 21st Century, in time for its 600th Anniversary.

Come and play your part in helping us see better how we can build for the future at St Luke’s.

Yours in Christ,

Rob