Building for the future.

It’s been such a privilege for a number of years to support the growth of our new sites, we’ve loved going on the journey with Farnborough, Windsor and the IOW in purchasing buildings and helping to resource their sites in our gift days.

But this year here in Bracknell our sites team have been working on costings for 2 major projects that need completing in order to keep our buildings working well into the future. We are now at the tipping point - its time to starting running with building funds again ourselves!

The first is a conversation around replacing our auditorium lighting - its original lighting so that makes it 35 years old.

Why change it now?

• Because its not LED and therefore expensive to run- we want to get our carbon footprint down as a site and this is a good step.

• Its a greenish light which is horrible for cameras ( film and stills) and we think a more natural light will make such a difference to the experience in the auditorium both for our digital needs and for wellbeing.

Calum Field our Sites Manager has done a great job in working with the original British company who supplied the lights so that rather than replacing the whole fixture they can recycle the fixings. A great project for this company so we are really encouraging them to use us as guinea pigs! We seem to be having a Creation Care influence wider afield!

This project is going to come to around £20 000 depending on whether the company can action the recycling work.

The other larger project is to do with our PA system. This system is now over 20 years old… how many of us have replaced their TV or sound system at home a number of times in the last 20 years? It’s actually amazing to think the same PA kit has lasted this long for us.

Why change?

• The existing kit is now starting to fault regularly and the production team that fix it for us (so we never know!) are struggling to get parts.

• The sound is patchy across the auditorium (in the balcony especially) meaning that people do not get the full experience in certain areas.

• We are a new generation at Kerith- the generation before have poured their lives and finances into the Kerith Centre, for our benefit. We need to do it again for the next generation, and set them up to win!  

Specifics wise we need to replace all the speakers and look at the sound for the worship team so they can hear themselves effectively and also replace the microphones and head sets for the stage.

The team is working with a number of well respected professional sound companies to find us the best solution for our auditorium but its looking like this project will be £120,000 - its a BIG deal! 

Anyone who’s interested in the technical spec please email calum.field@kerith.church

We know finances are super tough at present with the cost of living crisis, so for many of us this is going to be really sacrificial giving. In the history of Kerith this has always been the case however… so I’m holding onto the Haggai promise 

Haggai 2:8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

How are we going to do it ?

As a site team we think we need to give ourselves the target of the end of the year rather than the 2 May Gift Days- and also many of us will need to break this down into bite sized chunks.

CAN WE RASIE THIS MONEY by Christmas?
Here’s how…

10 people give £250/month       = £20,000

50 people give £100/month      = £40,000

100 people give £50/month      = £40,000

200 people give £25/month       = £40,000

50 people give £5/month         =2,000

                        = £142,000 by Christmas!

Which category are you in? Could you give it all in a lump sum? Can you find £5/25/50 or more from your budgets each month to give up till Christmas?

Head to our Giving page for the Bracknell Building Fund and join in on this adventure of building church with us!

www.kerith.church/giving

Please do come and chat to the site team if you have any further questions- we want to be open about the plans etc as we complete these projects.