Community church undergoes major renovation due to fellow church donations

This weekend, Penhill Community church will be celebrating the re-commissioning and renovating of the former Penhill Gospel Hall, in Penhill Drive.

On Saturday 11 September at 2pm, churches all round Swindon have been invited to a 1-hour service at the church, followed by an outdoor tea and cakes event with weather permitting.

On Sunday, everyone from the local area who would like to attend is invited to a thanksgiving service at 11am, followed by a barbeque.

Although the church, which started meeting at John Moulton Hall in September 2019, was affected by lockdowns throughout the pandemic, it was able to take out a 5-year lease in January of this year. Meetings in person have been taking place from the Easter Sunday.

Gifts totalling £22,000 were received from churches around the town and this has enabled them to renovate the building including:

• Installing a new gas central heating system and boiler
• Redecorating the entire building 
• Installing two disabled friendly new toilets
• Fitting new carpets throughout the entire building
• Installing a new security back door
• Building a large rear storage cupboard
• Fitting new blinds to all of the windows
• Installing a disabled ramp to the main entrance

Senior Pastor Tom Price said: “God has fully met our needs through God’s people. We have been able to complete almost every part of the work required to bring the building to a condition that we believe honours God and will be a blessing to the local residents for many years.

"A number of churches in Swindon - Freshbrook, Vine and Gateway church - have also sacrificially committed themselves to providing finance for 2 years to enable my co-pastor, David Childs-Clarke, to undertake a day’s ministry every week from September onwards at Penhill.

“This is a real answer to prayer and another demonstration of how ‘the church’ is working together to serve the people of Penhill and those across the town. I am thrilled by their generosity and partnership. We have been so excited to welcome to Penhill a number of local families that have been impacted by ministries such as Safe Families and Christians Against Poverty, Gorse Hill Baptist Church through their Bags of Hope, Swindon Toy Appeal and our own Foodshare on a Friday of course, in conjunction with Swindon Men’s shed and Swindon Night Shelter."