Quite simply, extra space will allow us to continue growing. Even before social distancing we had difficulty fitting regulars in, and we were extremely limited in welcoming visitors to special events (e.g., carol services and holiday bible clubs). The last year has seen a steady trickle of new enquirers; we hope they will become regulars. Our goal is a building with space to seat 80 regularly and 100 for special events. We aim to provide facilities for children’s activities, creche, conferences of various sizes, with suitable catering facilities for refreshments and meals.
Castlebar is ideally suited to act as a hub for churches in the West of Ireland. We are part of the Calvary Mission network comprising eight regional churches. Galway, Sligo, and Roscommon are also within 80 minutes’ drive. Connections between churches are vital in this pioneer setting, and a larger building would enable us to build on our past experience hosting training and networking events.
We have been renting for over 4 years now. The rent on our current premises consumes nearly all of the giving by members of the church. If we can raise the one-off funds for this purchase, future church giving can be used to move towards self-sufficiency e.g., in funding staff salaries.
COVID has underlined that churches are about people, not buildings. However, establishing a permanent base in the community emphasises our commitment to Castlebar and helps locals to recognise us as a place that welcomes those with questions about God.