If you are in the habit of approaching Wiltshire Road from Rose Street, you will not need me tell you that for more than a year All Saints’ Church has been a building site.
Wokingham’s oldest building has now emerged, transformed.
Why not have a look inside? You will find that it still looks like a church, but as time goes on there will be more and more diverse groups and activities sharing it.
The vision we had was for a “space for all”, and that is what he have called it.
The physical building work is done.
In even more important ways the building is only now beginning.
In medieval times the parish church was the centre where almost all the activities of the community took place. As other buildings grew up around it the church gradually became more focused on its religious activities, mostly services of various kinds.
So, rather than innovating we are going back to our roots. The building we are now embarking upon is welcoming and encouraging others to take advantage of our ancient and beautiful edifice. The exact form this will take will develop over the months and years.
It is likely to include various kinds of meetings, exhibitions and concerts and who knows what besides.
The legacy from past centuries is being made available as a facility, and indeed a blessing, for the present and the future.
All Saints is still a building site, building up both church and community.
Colin James is an honorary priest at All Saints, Wokingham, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham
