Welcome Area dedicated at Inch Parish Church
Bishop David dedicated a new Welcome Area at Inch Parish Church at a special service on Sunday morning 26 September.
The area provides a safe and welcoming space for visitors, nursing mothers and small children. It will facilitate the serving of light refreshments after services and can also be used for small gatherings and meetings.
The Welcome Area project was a long time in process from conceptualization and design to execution and completion, and, in paying tribute to all those involved the rector, Revd Stephen Smyth said:
“I do want to say thank you to all the people who have been a part of this project and have contributed so willingly of their time and talents. It is always difficult to name individuals with the risk of oversight, but I would acknowledge the contributions of Roderick Downer (Conception), Warren Cannon (Design), Liz Baker (Soft Furnishings), Stephen Prosser (Cabinet Maker), Andrew Taggard (Painter), Mark Davey (Electrician) and Norman Gibson (Project Manager).
“I also want to acknowledge and thank all those people who have contributed monetarily to the project: members of the Select Vestry, members of the parish and the Church of Ireland Priorities Fund, who gifted us £6,000.”
The Inch Parish Church Select Vestry unanimously decided to name the space “The Cross Welcome Area” in memory of the late Patrick Cross who was a faithful servant of the parish and friend to all.
Revd Smyth concluded by saying, “This name also reminds us of the central motif of the Christian faith – the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again that we might have eternal life. We pray that the Cross will always be the central focus of church life in Inch Parish, and “The Cross Welcome Area” will stand as a constant reminder of that focus.”
Pictured above L–R: Councillor Terry Andrews, Mr Warren Cannon, Ms Liz Baker, Rt Revd David McClay, Mrs Patricia Cross, Revd Stephen Smyth and Mr Stephen Cross.