Then and now
Late September 2003, and Teddington Baptist Church were bracing themselves for months of disruption as a long-awaited redevelopment kicked off in the new year. We had prayed, planned, and given, and now thoughts started turning to life after the builders moved out. What would life be like in this new church for which we had longed? On a day’s retreat at my beloved St Matthew’s Convent in Ham I felt ‘inspired’ to write ‘A day in the Life of Teddington Baptist Church’, set in October 2005. This was intended as a glimpse of what the future might bring. The years have rolled by, and a version of the ‘future’ described 11 years ago has happened. Every object in the picture below tells a story:
- A Day in the life of Teddington Baptist church – a small booklet describing life in the then un-built new building.
- Opening ceremony invitation, November 20th 2004
- Scissors and ribbon, used in the opening ceremony by the then Mayor of Richmond and I. (Subsequently used in Morrisons)
- Invitation to ‘Open 10′ event on Saturday November 22nd, celebrating 10 years of partnership between church and community.
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Turning these objects over in my hand, I sometimes wonder that it has all happened. I look at the 100s of people who come through the building every week, and I am grateful for all that has been. I think of all the exhibitions, gatherings, celebrations and conversations which have taken place in the new space. There’s an old verse in Psalm 127 which says ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it’. If, on the other hand, he does build it…
If you are in or around Teddington on November 22nd, why not drop in and continue the story?