St Mary's Church Upton

One main outworking of our vision themes has been to consider how we can provide buildings which are ‘Fit for Purpose’ around the five themes of our vision (Worshipping, Welcoming, Healing, Equipping and Sharing).

A statement on the Chester Diocesan website encourages churches to provide a quality, well-resourced and maintained church hall which can be a tremendous asset to a church, enabling a wide range of activities to take place for the church and local communities.

Over the past few years there had been a growing conviction in the congregation that our present buildings on the Church Road site were no longer fit for purpose.

We believe that our Faith Building initiative will enable us to better serve in our community with buildings that are better suited to our present activities.

The building work started just before Easter 2017 and were opened Autumn 2018.

The proposed plans were unanimously approved by the Local Authority (October 2014) and passed by the Diocesan Chancellor at a Consistory Court (July 2016).

Our thanks to the support of so many people as the new building will enable us to fulfil the vision for a ‘fit for purpose’ building around the five themes of our vision (Worshipping, Welcoming, Healing, Equipping and Sharing).

The Diocesan Chancellor, David Turner QC, said: “I have concluded the petitioners have established their case and I intend to grant the faculty sought for the works proposed.

“The church has a proven track record of community involvement and activity,  a heart for the village and its life and affairs and a desire to do better that which it already does.

“I am satisfied the public benefit to be obtained from what I am wholly persuaded will be an exciting, gospel driven, community facing, fresh chapter at St Mary’s.”