Portsoy Church Hall redevelopment – a church fit for the future

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I am writing to all Church Members to explain how your Church Session and I, as your Interim Moderator, see the plans for the future of Portsoy Church and why I ask you to support them. Your support both financial and spiritual will be essential if we are to succeed in making our Church ‘fit for the future’

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This vision behind this project is to give us a Church complex in the heart of Portsoy with facilities that meet the needs of our congregation and parish community - a church for the future and a legacy for our children.  It is about giving us a base from which to develop our activities in all parts of our Parish and hopefully reversing the gradual decline in our active membership.

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The reality of our current position is that we simply cannot financially support two Church buildings in the town. Ongoing repairs and maintenance for old buildings place major financial drains on our resources. The last Quinquennial report identified at least £75,000 of urgent and essential work in the Church, much of it internal. None of this has been done pending our Hall redevelopment. In addition, to heat the Church currently costs over £3,500 per year.

The decline in our membership over the last twenty years and more has resulted in change which I recognise has been particularly hard for those of you in Fordyce.  We must now face the reality that further change is needed.  Our heads say ‘it is only a building’ but our hearts feel a great loss.

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The redevelopment project is based on what has been shown to work for churches today, but looking further forward. What it will have are flexible spaces for different kinds of use; modern facilities (kitchen, toilets, flexible meeting room, an enlarged hall/sanctuary with better access, all friendly to disabled people); a welcome not only to worship but to belonging; a close interaction and relationship with the whole parish community; and a strong sense of ownership in terms of mission, stewardship, and care. The building will be accessible and usable by all in our parish. There will always be a sacred space for worship and witness, keeping our Christian identity. This will be the legacy we pass on to the following generations of Christians, and this, I believe, is the way forward.

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The pack with this letter tells you more about the financial support needed for the redevelopment project and how you can help to make it a reality.

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We are about take an important step in a journey together. I invite you to join us.

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We are about to create something new and exciting. I invite you to contribute.

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Yours sincerely

Iain Macnee