It has been a big year for St Michael & All Angels Church in Ravenstone. As well as celebrating its 700th birthday, the church was also successful in securing a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for its recognised project ‘A New Life For Our Community Church.’
Ever seeking to lovingly serve the community - to guide people, young and old, into a relationship with God, and be a welcoming place that is not only fit for purpose building-wise, but equipped for faithful fellowship - the church family are discerning a future that commits the church to being at the heart of its community in north-west Leicestershire.
During their anniversary weekend in September, they held an Open Day and hosted a variety of activities, including an art exhibition, a production of Alice in Wonderland and a Mad Hatters Tea Party, with Bishop Saju visiting on the Sunday and joining them in worship to celebrate their significant milestone.
St Michael & All Angels’ PCC, members of the congregation and community volunteers, are working hard to set up regular open days, coffee mornings and special events, such as the Alice in Wonderland tea party. In all of this, alongside their regular Sunday services, they are seeing more people drawn into fellowship with the church.
The National Lottery funding achieved will go towards helping the church become fit for purpose in serving the community in new and exciting ways.
Revd Geoff Pinnington, curate of St Michael & All Angels, says: “The church enjoys sound working links with Woodstone Primary School, where we lead collective worship monthly and we will be working with them on our Environmental and Heritage Projects.
“We are also involving the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in our Environmental Project within the churchyard. This is an integral part of our fulfilment of certain criteria in securing the National Heritage Lottery Fund grant, along with various other elements such as developing a Mini-Biographies project where people in the community can share their stories of growing up in Ravenstone and of people who shaped Ravenstone in the past.”
The church also enjoys leading monthly services at the Almshouse Chapel with the residents there.
“In all of this venture, we continue to pause to hear God’s voice and to seek his direction for our plans,” says Revd Geoff. “We want the church to continue to serve the people of Ravenstone for many years to come, but we have to ensure that we do the right things and walk the right path to make the church as user-friendly as possible for all generations.
“We are hopeful that the church will become a central hub for many varied community activities as well as a safe, warm, welcoming place for regular worship and praise.”
