Open Door
St Mary’s
St Mary’s was opened, over 100 years ago, in a spirit of free and common access. That spirit is alive today. Welcoming and hospitality continue to be top priorities within our ministry, through which we aim to tell the story of Jesus, to nourish friendship, fellowship and community, and to offer practical encouragement in faith and in doubt.
St Mary’s is an active, open parish church, situated at the centre of a thriving community with a population of circa 12,600. Total current annual attendance at the church is over 15,000. About 10,000 attendances are for church services. A regular Youth Club and some 15 other groups using the church for various events account for the rest.
Following a condemnation of its wiring, our church hall was closed in 2001. After commissioning a comprehensive survey of the building, it became clear to us that we would have to let the building go, and it was sold in 2004. We determined to use the proceeds of the sale to develop the church building in such a way that we could continue to host the activities of local educational, non-profit and charitable organisations.
The Project
Consultations throughout Alsager revealed a need for affordable meeting rooms and for a major gathering place in the town centre. The Open Door Project is a response to this need, providing two new rooms and a viable concert venue. Integrated within the existing church building, these facilities are served by toilets, a kitchen and an office.
The McDonald Room comfortably accommodates up to twenty people and has its own sink and provision for making hot drinks. The Friends Room is similar in size, and is kitted out with up-to-date audio-visual and teaching equipment. These rooms are ideal as classrooms, and for meetings and youth activities.
The availability of toilets and kitchen will be of great benefit when the main body of the church, with capacity for circa 300 – 450 (depending on the type of event) is in use for concerts, charitable fund-raising, school activities, services and other events.
The project enables St Mary’s to enhance the scope of its work and usefulness
in the community, building on our reputation for inclusiveness and hospitality.
With Open Door available to the community three days and five evenings a week, it is estimated that annual attendances by all those who use St Mary’s will rise by more than a third to over 20,000.
The cost of constructing the Open Door facilities is circa £170,000. WREN (Main Grant Scheme) and the Youth Capital Fund – administered by Connexions - have each provided £30,000, The balance has come from the proceeds of the sale of the church hall and from individual donations.
Management
The parish church works within the legal constraints of the responsibilities carried by the incumbent, the churchwardens and the parish church council.
With acknowledgement of this proviso, Open Door is managed initially by an executive working on behalf of the PCC. However, as the project unfolds a Management Team will take over, comprising representation from St Mary’s, regular users and the volunteers who will staff Open Door. This management team will fix policies and charges and deal with the problems and opportunities that evolve as the project unfolds. The commitment of the project is to provide facilities at rates covering no more than the cost of utilities, cleaning, admin and wear and tear.
Rationale
Our building and worshipping community are part of two strands of identity and activity.
On the one hand there is the parish church, the provision of divine services, occasional offices, pastoral care, Christian teaching and a sacred space. This strand, joining us to the Diocese of Chester and The Church of England, we know as St Mary’s.
On the other hand, we are one of many agencies committed to what we might call community enrichment in Alsager. This strand, linking us to Alsager Partnership, local government, health, education and social services and a large number of charitable organisations, is what we are calling Open Door.