The Story So Far
Immanuel Church was born 14 years ago when a group of people in Chichester started meeting in someone’s home. The church soon grew and felt God calling them to work in Partnership with St Paul’s Church in the Winterbourne Road area of N.E. Chichester. Meeting at St Michael’s Hall in Summersdale Road, the church have outgrown the facilities there and after a long period of consultation and negotiation are moving into Graylingwell Chapel to help create a vibrant new community base open to all.
A New Chapter Begins
Immanuel is a growing, dynamic church centre dedicated to building relationships, serving the community and discovering God’s plan for our lives. At our main weekly Sunday Service you can experience meaningful worship, encouraging talks, friendly people and an enjoyable atmosphere. We are a Mission Initiative in the Church of England which means we can develop new forms of church whilst respecting Anglican traditions. We are working to support a community project on a decommissioned NHS site where developers are building 700 homes over the next 7 years. Graylingwell Chapel has been disused for 11 years and it lies at the centre of this new development. We are now focussed on creating a spiritual heart and serving the community in ways that connect with people where they are. If you would like to join us in moving this vision forwards, call Steve and Sarah and find out how you can be part of it!
Immanuel Church at Graylingwell Chapel is not a Parish Church. In fact we are located in the Parish of St Paul’s, Chichester. But we are being given a special brief as a “network church” and “missional community” to live out our Christian faith in ways that connect with people in the City of Chichester and beyond.
On Easter Sunday, 2010, 170 people gathered in the Chapel for the first service to be held there in 11 years!
On October 10th 2010 (10.10.10) we formerly re-opened the Chapel. Over many years people have found Graylingwell Chapel to be a place of peace, life, healing and hope.
We are re-discovering its lost heritage as we see God move in power in this place.
Our Ministers, Steve and Sarah,
live a few hundred metres from the Chapel in Winterbourne Road, so it’s slap bang in the middle of the communities in which God has placed us.
The Chapel was part of a decommissioned NHS site and was out of use for more than 10 years. The Developers who are now building all around the Chapel will be refurbishing it as part of their agreement with the Local Authority – possibly in the Autumn of 2012, although this has not been confirmed. In the meantime we are growing church launching various community initiatives to demonstrate God’s love for all. We believe passionately that God came in the Person of Jesus Christ to rescue the human race and give everybody an opportunity to find new life in relationship to Him. God is in the business of transformation – body, mind and spirit and we are called to work with Him in this life changing programme of change.
We are co-operating with the newly formed Community Development Trust to grow a vibrant community hub around the Chapel, open for all, with facilities that will include: Parent’s & Toddlers, Community Events, Community Clean-Ups, New Community Rock Choir, Allotments, Debt Counselling, Street Parties, Parenting and Marriage Courses, Visual and Performing Arts, Community Bus Project, Soul Cafe Entertainment Nights etc., etc. Many of these initiatives are now up and running.
Food & Friendship
People visiting Immanuel for the first time often comment on the warm welcome and sense of family. We enjoy food and friendship and we take every opportunity to share hospitality with people. We welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs.
Our Vision:
“To create a spiritual heart in Graylingwell, Winterbourne and the Communities in which God has placed us.”
