Here starts a very new chapter, not only in the life of the church in Narborough, but also for our family. Sarah-Jayne, William and I, are very excited about taking this step of pastoring the Congregational church here in Leicestershire. Our next Sunday service, on October 11th, will be the first service that we are leading since we took up the role as Pioneer Pastors of the church, leading into this new period.
I am very aware of the size of the task ahead, as we re-launch the church and start to reach out into the community, also recognising the history of the church on which we are honoured to build. I do not claim to know too much of the local history but have learned a little about what has taken place on the site of the church building, and it is amazing. The church was formed in 1662, when people, known as ‘nonconformists’ or ‘dissenters’, began to meet together, under the leadership of Matthew Clarke MA. There was no church building, they met in a house and Mr Clarke, the former rector of the Parish church, had been evicted for his nonconformist stance!
A small square chapel was built in 1706, which was extended in 1770, and then in 1883, after a new front was built and the church turned around to face the opposite direction, the church was re-opened. There have been various upgrades, changes and modernisations over the years, though from photographs the building does look very similar inside and out to what it did more than 100 years ago.
We are very aware that there is a great history to the church and the fact that for over 360 years faithful men, women and children, have called this place their spiritual home, is very humbling. We feel the gravity of so many years of worship in this building and also are honoured to take up the baton of leading this generation, at this time and into the future.
During our service this Sunday, we will be thinking about “why we do church”, echoing back to the pattern laid down by the Acts 2 church, around 2000 years ago, building on the foundations built by those first followers of Christ. Today we again seek to reach out into the surrounding area, to seek to be the difference in the community and to lead worship and build church once again. I do not know what the future holds, what may happen in the coming months and years, or just how things will be shaped as we setup new programs, groups and opportunities to meet together. But I do know that God holds our future, that he has the right plans and that he will build his church. We are just very excited about playing our part in this stage of the church’s story.