17 February 2012

Pupils at Stoke Row CE Primary School are using St John the Evangelist Church. The idea came from PCC members who wanted to remove the pews and transform the church into a more flexible, informal worship venue.

They had no way of raising the funds, and when the school decided it needed a new hall, the vicar, the Revd Kevin Davies, got together with the then head teacher.
Kevin said: “It’s a simple square Victorian building with no aisles or nave and the sanctuary is separated by a rail. The headteacher was able to get funding from the diocese to do this and I thought it was what we’d wanted all along.”

Mary Bather, head teacher, said: “We had always used the church for assemblies, but when the pews were there that’s all we could use if for.
“The only thing we can’t do is serve dinners in it,” said Mrs Bather. “We’ve bought new PE equipment and we have our own cupboard in the church and the county council is paying the rent to the church.

“When the church was just the church the children regarded it as the church. Now they go in to do PE and go in to worship they have learnt that it is a different atmosphere and treat it differently. We have assemblies in it four times per week.”
Now the PCC is hoping to complete a £50,000 project for a kitchenette and toilet in the building. Mrs Bather hopes that if this comes to fruition, she will be able to negotiate use of the facilities with the church.