Your thoughts on the Sandon Road Baptist Church building?

[Mrmat]

Im wanting to know what you think about a building in stafford, namely, Sandon Road Baptist Church. Its at the top of Sandon Road and looks a bit like a scout hut from the outside.

I'd like to know what the building says to you, what it might say about God, the people that use the building etc

to put the whole thing into context, the church are considering significantly upgrading the building. i have my own views on the matter but i thought this is a great way to get some failry level headed opinions

feel free to ask some more questions (best efforts get read out on Sunday morning so if your plans of world domination are not coming to fruition, then maybe this is a halfway house?)

Thanks All

Matt

 

[Jimbo]

It doesn't look like a house of God, but I'm of the opinion you don't need to be anywhere particularly grand to pray. (I'm not religious, but I'd have thought being out in the open, in the amazing countryside He created would be a much better place for prayer). If they want to improve it, and they can afford to improve it, then go for it.

 

[gon2seed]

Agnostic myself, so no particular view on religious aspect of the building. Looks small though, so might not be enough room for congregation? Also any redevelopment may increase likely hood of other groups using it, (I am sure other groups already use it!) Outside looks fine, parking, and excellent transport links!

 

[AA Silencers]

My Sister is of the Wiccan religion, in other words she's a Witch. For Monty Python fans out there she does in fact weigh less than a duck, just in case you were wondering.
Anyway, she made a good point once. So many things in a Church are dead. The wood that forms the beautiful ornate carvings, the cold brick or Stone it's made from and the cut flowers that often adorn them. I'm not significantly religious in either way myself but whichever belief system you have it's a good point. I think most religions are fundamentally about doing the right things in life and then death won't be so scary, one way or another. the only difference seems to be about what 'the right things' are in between birth and death.
The building you offer worship in should be about the people who worship there, and their lives. In my opinion it should be a place to celebrate the way they live following the things they believe. Besides, I don't recall anything in the bible about God asking for a big shiny church. Not that I've read the bible cover to cover, I must admit.

 

[Moby Dick]

I used to go there in the early 70's and it was pretty ugly inside as I remember it. Run by Paster John Harris I seem to remember. I partly agree with AA on this one and that I think the money would be better spent on folk entrusting themselves to the care and fellowship of the church who possibly have many problems through no fault of their own.

 

[Trapnest]

My Sister is of the Wiccan religion, in other words she's a Witch. For Monty Python fans out there she does in fact weigh less than a duck, just in case you were wondering.
Anyway, she made a good point once. So many things in a Church are dead. The wood that forms the beautiful ornate carvings, the cold brick or Stone it's made from and the cut flowers that often adorn them. I'm not significantly religious in either way myself but whichever belief system you have it's a good point. I think most religions are fundamentally about doing the right things in life and then death won't be so scary, one way or another. the only difference seems to be about what 'the right things' are in between birth and death.
The building you offer worship in should be about the people who worship there, and their lives. In my opinion it should be a place to celebrate the way they live following the things they believe. Besides, I don't recall anything in the bible about God asking for a big shiny church. Not that I've read the bible cover to cover, I must admit.

She's very right.

It doesn't look great outside, but I don't think it needs to be fancy. But larger might be good, from the outside it looks tiny, which to me defeats the object of a church a bit really. You can pray at home if you so wish, people have always said they like to go for mass and congregations. It should be able to fit plenty of people in it. Aren't they meant to save us in a Zombie apocalypse too? *chuckles* Redevelopment could be good for the place, but I don't think it needs to be anything fancy.

 

[AA Silencers]

Do your research Trapnest. The place to go in a Zombie apocalypse is a shopping mall. That's what they do in all the best movies. Churches are where you go in a Vampire apocalypse and that's much less likely to happen.

 

[shoes]

Do your research Trapnest. The place to go in a Zombie apocalypse is a shopping mall. That's what they do in all the best movies. Churches are where you go in a Vampire apocalypse and that's much less likely to happen.

Incorrect, one must had to the Winchester, have a cold pint and wait for the zombie apocalypse to blow over.

 

[AA Silencers]

At the risk of getting kicked off to a Zombie Apocalypse thread, I'm worried the people of Stafford would be totally unprepared for such an event. How can a Zombie apocalypse ever just 'blow over'. Then it would just be a Zombie inconvenience.

 

[Gramaisc]

Further down Sandon Road is the somewhat similar Christadelphian Hall - and there was the 'Tin Church' in Doxey, until recently, that is..

 

[Moby Dick]

Further to my previous posting I see in the Obits in the Newsletter this week the late of the Late Pastor John Harries, Nancy, of this church died on tues this week.