Before sharing an update on the purchase of 21–23 Stokes Croft, it would be remiss of me not to pause and celebrate what an extraordinary week of prayer we’ve just experienced. I was deeply encouraged by how many people came along, by the range of locations we gathered in, the diversity of those who led, and the shared themes that seemed to surface again and again throughout the week.
At the Sunday evening prayer meeting, I had a picture of multiple volcanoes emerging and erupting all across the city. Volcanoes form when tectonic plates shift, building pressure and heat until lava erupts and then solidifies, permanently reshaping the landscape. I sensed that God was shifting the spiritual tectonic plates of our church, and that as we gathered to pray, the pressure and heat created would erupt into blessing and missional impact.
I saw dormant volcanoes coming back to life, those that had only been smoking beginning to bubble again, and entirely new volcanoes emerging in communities that had long been neglected. I saw fresh expressions of faith springing up across the city, and some eruptions carrying such force that they launched beyond Bristol into new cities.
In many ways, this picture captures our vision: that City Church would help bring the gospel of Jesus Christ across this city and beyond. That we would be a church led by faith, marked by an expectation that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, and that people from every background and generation would encounter the life-transforming power of the gospel. I wonder what that picture stirs in you?
It’s important to remind ourselves of this vision—especially when we start talking about buildings. The detail can quickly obscure the bigger picture. So let me restate our heart:
To establish a venue in the heart of Bristol that would be a hub for worship, community, ministry, and mission, with gospel impact across the city, and as a resource for our growing church in Bristol and beyond.
With that in mind, here’s the update.
Building
The Buildings Team—made up of myself, John Cooper (City Church Operations Manager), and Sam Dalziel (Trustee)—have continued to push ahead with the necessary surveys to gain as clear a picture as possible of the work required and the associated costs.
To help guide us through this process, we’ve been working with Julian Bullen, a friend of Andy Street, who has been a huge blessing. Julian is an experienced Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager, with expertise ranging from multi-million-pound developments to smaller projects with churches and charities. He has very generously given his time to help us shape an initial brief, explore cost-management options, and ensure we approach this project with both faith and realism. There will be plenty of opportunity for the wider church to engage in this process when we begin working with an architect.
Finance
The November Gift Days were an extraordinary moment of provision and generosity, giving us a strong foundation for this project. Even with this remarkable start, we always anticipated that further funds would need to be raised over time.
Our usual pattern is to hold Gift Days in March, but rather than focusing on one-off gifts this year, we’ll be inviting people to step into regular giving—or to review and, where possible, increase their existing regular giving to the church. I’ll speak more about this on Celebration Sunday, 1 March.
From the November Gift Days, we have received £380,000 of pledged giving (66%), with £191,000 still outstanding (34%). In addition, we received £60,000 in unpledged gifts and have so far reclaimed £40,000 in Gift Aid. If you are in a position to redeem your pledge, we would be very grateful, as this greatly helps with our planning.
Looking ahead, we are working with Stewardship and are close to making a final decision on a mortgage product, pending the final building valuation, which we expect this week. We have also met with two grant-funding advisors who have experience working with churches. Our intention is to partner with one of them to develop a funding pipeline as we move forward.
Legal
As part of our offer, three conditions still need to be satisfied:
A building valuation
Satisfactory internal compliance with fire regulations
Confirmation of right of way via Kings Court to Jamaica Street for use as a fire exit route
The fire regulations are particularly significant, as they determine the maximum capacity of the building. The necessary surveys are currently underway, and we are awaiting the reports.
Once these matters are resolved satisfactorily, we will be in a strong position to exchange contracts.
In Conclusion
Please continue to pray with us as decisions are made, and pray that God would keep unlocking the people, provision, and resources needed for this exciting opportunity to bring the blessing of the gospel to all of Bristol, and beyond.
If you have any questions or thoughts, please grab me one Sunday or email us at buildings@citychurch.org.uk.