Church Growth Trust (CGT) were gifted Clarence Road Evangelical Church, East Cowes on the Isle of Wight five years ago and have worked closely with the church to make improvements to the building. When Giles Arnold, CGT’s Chief Executive, met with the church in 2018 he was impressed with their level of faith in God and His provision. Even though they were not large in numbers or a wealthy congregation, they believed that God would provide for them with the work that was required to the property.
Peter and Sue Young from the church also speak of that first meeting, “We were inspired by Giles’ enthusiasm and him seeing that mustard seed of faith in us. The combination of his spiritual insight and practical approach to the project made it seem possible that it could actually happen. And here we are a few years later with it completed and the building transformed. We are so grateful to God for Church Growth Trust, as we do not think the project would have happened without them.”
The current project began with a need for wheelchair access and an improved entrance. When Giles first visited, he faced a challenging problem with no simple solution. Together with John Quinlan, a consultant architect working with CGT, they determined that the best approach was to create access partway up the hill, allowing entry to the meeting hall at the correct level. While providing full wheelchair access throughout the building was too expensive, they developed a more affordable plan focusing on the hall and entrance area.
Funds for the project have come from sacrificial giving within the fellowship, help with architectural fees from Church Growth Trust and two sizeable grants from a closed Gospel Hall and another Christian charity. The unexpected timing and generosity of these has been such a blessing to the church.
Five years of planning
After five years of planning, the project is now complete. The building now has a welcoming, level entrance, fully accessible restrooms, and a new kitchen for the main meeting and worship area. Improvements also include better lighting, insulation, and new carpeting in the worship space. Essential repairs have also been made to the back, three-story section of the building.
The building has been completely transformed. The steep steps from the street were replaced with a gently sloped side entrance, and all main facilities—lobby, kitchen, restrooms, and worship area—are now on a single level. The space is now fully accessible, more welcoming, attractive, and comfortable, making it ideal for modern church needs. This renovation has breathed new life into the building, giving the church better facilities to reach the town with the Gospel.
Sue Young shared, “I love that we have a worship area without holes in the floor! And now we have hot water in the kitchen and bathrooms. These small things make all the difference.”
The church is already seeing some positive outcomes of the alterations to the building. The second weekend after the works were finished a lady came to the building in her wheelchair. She would not have been able to attend the worship meeting in the past, due to the steep steps, but was now able to come into the new entrance with ease. The following week she brought her daughter and now her granddaughter and great grandchildren are also attending the church meetings regularly! This is a direct result of making the building accessible.
Having seen the building transformed, and God’s provision for this, has built the level of faith with the church. This is helping them be more confident about sharing their faith with others and believing that God will grow His Church in East Cowes. Not only has the building been revitalised, but the church is expectant of God doing the same with them. Giles Arnold again, “We are so delighted that the church building has been transformed and that the facilities are now much better for the church to use for their meetings and outreach. It has been such a privilege to work with the church over the last few years, to see their faith rewarded and their faith grown. I know they are expecting God to not only provide for them with the building project, but also with growing His Church. I can’t wait to hear the next part of this story.”
