Rev David Cupples pictured outside the new look front of Enniskillen Presbyterian Church, which reopens on Sunday for services after major renovations.
AFTER one of the biggest ever restoration projects ever to take place in Fermanagh, Enniskillen Presbyterian Church will open again on Sunday for 11am morning service.
Work began in March of last year on the £1,595,000 redevelopment of the church and church Hall and Reverend David Cupples, Minister of Enniskillen Presbyterian is delighted with the progress that has been made. He feels the new build is the perfect mix of traditional and modern ideas.
“That was quite deliberate, we retained the traditional feel, but the Church hall is a completely modern design. The furnishing and the colour scheme is designed to be very modern and very relaxed and we hope this setting will encourage more people to come into this welcoming environment.”
There has been redesigns to the entrance and porch and also work done to the interior, including a new audio visual system and screen, new wood pellet boiler heating system and a new smaller pulpit. It is perhaps though with the new church hall where the changes is most striking.
“A definite and radical decision was made to call the entire suite of halls the Bridge Centre. This name expresses our desire that the premises will be a bridge between us and the wider local community.”
The large hall will be called the Island Hall and with the new modern kitchen facilities it will accommodate people gathering for refreshments after funerals and weddings, and visiting church groups who may want a meal.
It will also accommodate current recreational activities including youth club, bowls and badminton as well as the parents and toddlers group.
In the middle level the main room will be called the Riverview Room because of its large window overlooking the River Erne. It will be the main area for mid-week gatherings and it will also be used for a new form of more informal ministry on Sunday evenings.
On the ground floor a large room, to be known as the Erne Room will be used as a creche/place for young people to socialise and includes showers to accommodate visiting groups who wish to stay over for weekends.
Although the church now has the most modern facilities and extensive resources Reverend Cupples knows that it is the congregation who are the heartbeat of the good work.
“We are not relying on the building, it is just a resource we can use. We have a core committed group and with their continued support the church’s future is in good hands.”
He praised the generosity of members who have turned a dream first spoken of back in 2002, into a reality.
“The giving has been absolutely fantastic, it has just been tremendous generosity, not just in terms of money, but also time and effort.”
The lower ground floor of the new building will not be officially completed until the end of August, but the rest of the building will be open from Thursday August 1.
At this time guided tours and refreshments will be offered every day from 11am to 5pm, excluding Sundays. Services will continue as normal from Sunday.
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