What We Believe

St John’s is a people, a place and an idea.
We are a small Christian community which lives for the glory of God and the transformation of the local community. Moved by a reverence for life, the pursuit of justice for all, we try to inspire one another to seek the truth, live fully, care deeply and make a difference. We are proud to serve a diverse and interesting community.

Our Building

In the summer of 2008 thieves attempted to steal the lightening conductor from the church tower and in the process toppled the upper eight meters of the spire, which crashed to the ground causing extensive damage, especially to the south aisle. The subsequent repair, along with further investigations revealed that the building required extensive restoration work. An initial offer of grant assistance from English Heritage was reluctantly declined by the PCC as it felt the project was beyond the congregation’s limited capacity.

In 2011, it became apparent that the East Window would be lost if work was not urgently carried out.  At this stage it was agreed to approach English Heritage (subsequently the Heritage Lottery Fund) once again, and a programme of work with their valued assistance is now underway that will secure this listed Grade II* building for the future.

In addition to this it is hoped that next year we will be able to complete repairs to the interior of the roof, and redecorate the nave. We also intend, if possible, to carry out some restoration work in the sanctuary before redecorating. Beyond this we are cautiously beginning to discuss the reordering of the interior of the church.

The vision for the future is not simply to restore a fine building and safeguarding our heritage, but to better engage with those around us, and offer a vibrant and lively centre that can help regenerate and reinvigorate our community.