On Bishop’s orders
In 2011 the Bishop of Chichester appointed Immanuel Church as a Bishop’s Mission initiative within the Church of England. Our mission is to serve the growing population of Chichester including people moving into new homes in the area. At that time Immanuel was meeting at Graylingwell Chapel, located at the heart of Graylingwell Park, a housing development which will eventually provide 800 new homes.
Inspired by their situation, members used their hand prints to paint a large heart – now the church logo.
Transformation
The church was meeting in the former hospital chapel which had been abandoned for many years. It lacked modern comforts such as heating and toilets, but offered the beauty of Victorian stained glass windows and wooden pews.
Church members rose to the challenge of transforming the neglected building into a place of vibrant worship and a base for serving the local community. The colourful wall hangings depicting the fire of the Holy Spirit became a well loved feature of the cold chapel.
Community involvement
Immanuel church leaders worked closely with the Chichester Community Development Team to enhance the local facilities on the Graylingwell development, such as starting the Community Garden. Our minister at the time Steve Flashman introduced some innovative ideas, including Elmer the Playbus as a mobile base for youthwork; and the Community Choir (open to all and definitely not a church choir).
His idea of the Winter Wonderland started as a Christmas street party for the whole community, and then moved into the chapel for the whole of Graylingwell and surrounding area.
On the move
Change came suddenly in 2017 when the new owners of the chapel decided to close it down and start the lengthy process of major repairs. At short notice Immanuel was faced with finding a new place for its Sunday worship and other activities. It seemed like a huge challenge, but very quickly our current minister Paul Collins found the church a new meeting place.
Immanuel @ Central
In July 2017 Immanuel Church moved to Central Church of England Academy, where Immanuel enjoyed good facilities at the school for its Sunday services and other activities. The church supported the school in many ways, such as teams helping with upkeep of the grounds, and contributing our traditional Immanuel Winter Wonderland to the school’s Christmas fair.
Looking outward
In November 2020 the Covid-19 restrictions led Immanuel to Bishop Luffa School for a larger meeting place, with the resources for live-streaming services.
As a Bishop’s Mission church within the Church of England, we continue to look outward to the thousands of people moving into new homes being built locally, and to work closely with other local churches in reaching the people who live and work in our city.
