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St John's |
 St. John the Baptist
Church, Epping is a fine example of the Victorian Gothic Style and a lively centre of
worship and a focal point in the town of Epping which the Church
is proud to serve. It has a committed
congregation and a well-defined mission serving the many visitors
to the church. It is used by local and community groups as a
venue for concerts, meetings, events and exhibitions or as a haven of quiet in a busy world where they
can experience the love of God and spend a moment in prayer.
Others come for those important life events—baptisms, weddings,
blessings and funerals. |
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Caring for Our Heritage |
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St. John’s, like many
churches built at the close of the Victorian era, faces mounting
costs to maintain the building in a sound condition as well as to
develop it for the needs of the 21st century.
We want to be able to hand
it on to future generations so that, like us, others can
experience it as a centre for Christian Worship and Fellowship and
as a focus for our Community life.
From 2002 until 2007 we
raised funds through our Renewal Appeal
As a result of which we were able to: |
 Renew
exterior
stonework which over a century has become weathered and
damaged. This has now been completed at a cost of over £45,000 |
 Renovate
the
Tower Clock (an Epping landmark) which was made possible
through the Appeal and with generous help from Epping Town
Council. |
 Make
improvements to our
Sound System which is now extended into the choir stalls. |
 Protect
our beautiful
stained-glass windows. |
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In addition we continue to beautify the
Church with specific gifts, including a votive stand and: |
 a
new
Icon of St. John the Baptist
which hangs in the Lady Chapel; |
 Renovation
of the Bodley white frontal and design of a new
superfrontal to match;
and further renovations of the treasures left to us by previous
generations. |
 The
re-wiring of the Church and installation of a new lighting system
is now complete. This cost just over £90,000 and was
made possible thanks to fund-raising efforts organised by the
Restoration Committee and very generous donations from
Cleanaway Limited and the Garfield Weston Trust. The
work was carried out by CES Ltd. |
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Becoming a Friend |
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Becoming a Friend is a way
of being linked to our Church and its life and supporting the
congregation in maintaining this lovely building.
It is a way of being closely
associated with St. John’s, not simply to give financial help to
preserve our heritage, but also to be linked to a Church building
and Church Community which is special for you. We ask of our
Friends that their support will also include praying for us and for
God’s mission in Epping. In return they receive a regular
newsletter, special invitations to church events and to the Annual
Friends Gathering.
Anyone can become a Friend.
You do not have to be a churchgoer. All we ask is that you feel able
to support us. |
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How much does it cost? |
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Membership is by Annual
Donation or Life Membership, if you so choose.
We suggest the following
donation: |
Individual, Annual
Donation
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£10 |
Unwaged
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£5 |
Family Annual Donation
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£25 |
Individual Life Member
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£100 |
Family Life Membership
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£250 |
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Where do I send my donation? |
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You can either contact the
Church
Treasurer who will send you a payment slip or a form to set up a
direct debit; or you can send a cheque to:
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The PCC Treasurer
St John’s Church
St John’s House
St John’s Road
EPPING
CM16 5DN |
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Cheques should be made
payable to:
The Friends of St John’s
 If you are a taxpayer, we
would be grateful if you are able to make your donation by GiftAid. This allows us to claim additional funds
of around 28% from the Inland Revenue at no extra cost to you. |
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Friends' Projects |
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Amongst the projects
supported by the Friends: |
 Our
White Festal Chasuble; designed by G F Bodley and made by
Watts & Co of London has been completely renovated at a cost of
£5,000. This important vestment has thus been conserved. Many of
our ‘Friends’ helped towards the cost. |
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 A
new Prayer Request Board has been made. It is of light oak
and in the form of a triptych.
This was paid for by The
friends. |
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 The Remembrance Garden paid for by the Friends, was
completed in 2005. The plants are establishing themselves and the
centrepiece is a miniature mulberry tree. A slate plaque has been
fixed on the wall behind the bench with the words:
This Garden of Remembrance
is a gift from
the Friends of St John’s
2005
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 The
'Chapel of Transfiguration’ has been completed and was
dedicated at Choral Evensong on 14 September 2008, by Archdeacon
Peter Venables, when the Icon of the Transfiguration was also
dedicated. Some of
our Friends have made individual contributions to the cost of
this. It is already put to good and regular use: for
Morning Prayer every weekday; for a late evening prayer group;
for the Ministry of Laying on of Hands with Prayer; for quiet
counsel and for healing prayer with any who request it; or
simply for private prayer, stillness and meditation |
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Future Projects |
 Our
fine Four Manual Organ is now in need of
renovation; an inspection has been made and we now have a sense
of what needs to be done.
The
work is in progress,
but we are still raising funds for the work, which will cost in the
region of £90,000. |
 We
have now launched a Special Appeal for our
‘Dream’ Project
to re-develop the St John’s House site next to the Church as a
Church & Community Centre. |
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