A Lancaster church has celebrated the opening of a new Welcome building as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment.
Moorlands Church bought the former Trinity URC buildings on the corner of High Street and Middle Street in Lancaster in 2018.
Since the church has been carrying out a redevelopment project called ‘Building For Growth’.
They reached a huge milestone with the opening of the glass-fronted Welcome building on March 2, which coincided with the church's 20th anniversary.
Moorlands Church was formed in March 2005, when around 12 people gathered together in a small building on Dumbarton Road in Lancaster.
Twenty years later, Moorlands Church has now grown to around 250 people spanning multiple generations, ages and nationalities.
In 2015, they began searching for a suitable building, despite having no money and no particular openings.
The church then purchased a set of three historical buildings in the middle of the Lancaster: a 1774 congregationalist chapel, an 1856 Sunday School Hall and a 1930s Warden’s House.
Building began around three years ago, with the team having to face the challenges of the Covid pandemic, inflation, leaks, and the church continuing to meet on a construction site, as well as needing to raise over £2m.
The ribbon was cut by one of the 12 original members of the church.
The church is now seeking to raise the final amount to breathe new life into its 18th Century chapel.
This CGI image below shows the vision for the finished Moorlands Church buildings.
All are welcome to visit the buildings any Sunday morning at 10am.
On March 23 and 30, the church is hosting two guest meetings for people in Lancaster to find out more about the ‘Real Jesus’.
You can find out more about the Building for Growth project HERE.
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