Summer Sundays Meeting at Gunville Methodist Church
We had one Sunday morning at Gunville last Summer!
This summer, Carisbrooke Primary School will be unavailable for eight weeks while building work takes place. As we've explored alternative venues for our Sunday gatherings, an exciting opportunity has emerged.
Many of you will know that we've been building a growing relationship with Gunville Methodist Church over recent years. They have generously welcomed us into their building for a number of events, including our monthly Prayer & Worship Nights and the Bible Course.
We're delighted to share that Gunville Methodist Church has agreed to host our Sunday gatherings throughout the summer while the school is unavailable. They are kindly moving their own service to 2:30pm, allowing us to continue meeting at our usual time of 10:30am.
We'll be meeting at Gunville from Sunday 19th July to Sunday 6th September.
Even more encouragingly, they will review the arrangement during the summer to consider whether this could become a permanent arrangement for our Sunday gatherings.
Why this is exciting
Our mission remains the same: helping people find their way back to God, wherever they're starting from.
Our vision remains the same: to be a community growing in our love for God and our love for people.
We want to be a church that our community would miss if we weren't here—a church committed to seeing lives transformed through the love of Jesus, both locally and beyond.
We want to be a peach-like community: easy to get into, with a solid core. A church where people can come as they are, discover Jesus for themselves, and find hope, belonging and a place to call home, regardless of their background, experience or story.
Meeting at Gunville could help us pursue that mission in several practical ways:
With A rich heritage of over 175 years of prayer, worship, discipleship and community engagement - it's a space saturated with the presence of God.
An accessible toilet within the building - something we haven't had at the school!
A space better suited to Sunday gatherings, with easier access to the technology we use and less weekly setup
A better-equipped kitchen
Dedicated spaces for children and youth
Opportunities to use the building during the week to serve the community and invite people back on Sundays
A couple of important clarifications
1. This is currently a summer arrangement.
The eight weeks will give both churches an opportunity to see how things work in practice. While we're excited about the possibility of something longer-term, no decisions have been made yet. We'll keep you updated as conversations continue. If you have thoughts or concerns please get in touch!
2. We are not planning to merge with Gunville Methodist Church
GMC will continue as its own congregation. We look forward to continue finding ways to support one another and work together where appropriate, while remaining distinct churches. Some members of GMC may choose to join us occasionally or regularly, but this is not about combining congregations.
Key dates
Sunday 12th July – Our final Sunday at the school
Sunday 19th July – First Sunday meeting at GMC
Sunday 6th September – Final planned Sunday at GMC (for now)
We're grateful to GMC for their generosity and excited to see what God does through this next season. We'll keep you updated as things develop.
Please do be praying for this season, for God to use it for his Kingdom, and that both churches would feel well cared for through the whole process.