Signs of Life?
I wonder what the picture above says to you?
I noticed this Church sign when taking my wife to work in Southport a few weeks ago.
It played on my mind, so next time, I stopped to take a photo.
The Church in question is (was) Norwood Avenue Baptist Church which stood on this corner site now occupied by some Baptist Housing Association flats. According to my friend, the late Geoffrey Ellis (in his book "Dissenters of Every Description") the Baptists first met on this site in 1902, with a brick Church built in 1923. The Church closed on 7th November 1999.
When I went to be Minister at nearby Victoria Methodist Church, some of the members had previously attended Norwood Avenue Baptist Church.
Over the years as Minister at Victoria I must have passed this spot hundreds of times, but never noticed the sign embedded in the tree! Looking at older pictures, I think someone has spent lockdown cutting back the ivy and the sign has only recently emerged once again. Whoever made the sign clearly did a good job as it has lasted 20 years after the Church closed!
The sign shows a comfortable starting time of 10.45am for the Sunday Service and Communion was celebrated twice a month. Although the details of the Womens Fellowship and Toddler group are given the name of the Minister is not - perhaps in its later years they struggled to find a Minister?
In one way the sign is sad - a Church has closed and all that's left is an old forgotten wooden board. It reminds us that Church buildings, large or small, do not last for ever. They offer a place of worship, fellowship and witness for a time but then the people of God move on.
In another way, the sign continues to be a witness to the faith of the congregation who once worshipped there. What was the lasting effect of that Church's witness in the local community, and more importantly in the lives of the people who were touched by the Church? There will be people today whose living faith can be traced back to this Church or to someone from that Church who shared their faith with a friend or family member.
Whatever lies ahead for our Churches at this uncertain time, let us pray that their lasting message will be what is written by the Holy Spirit on the hearts of God's people.
One of my favourite "coffee table" books is entitled "Church Signs Across America".
Here are three of my favourites:
"Lord, keep your arm around my shoulders and your hand across my mouth"
"Families are like fudge - mostly sweet, with a few nuts"
"If God had a refrigerator your picture would be on it"
Fascinating and sad too when you see closed churches. Helps us to remember something a vicar once said. He asked us how many churches there were in Liverpool and after many guesses he told us we were wrong: there was only 1! We just meet in different buildings. I think Covid has maybe taught us that we have become too reliant on church buildings.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave - your Dad would probably have been familiar with that Church from his retirement years in sunny Southport. God Bless
DeleteWhat an amazing sign! Standing as a disciple of what was once thriving, telling its story.
ReplyDeleteI did feel that it represents the Churches mission and although its sad its closed, id like to think its congregation were guided to a different mission an the building has now found a new purpose.
We done who found it an carefully cleaned it up!
Interesting read Peter...I like the bit especially where you say .. the people of God move on because it means even though the building doesn't serve any longer, the people do!
ReplyDeleteFascinating to stumble across this posting. With my parents I moved to Southport age 12 in 1960 and we worshipped at Norwood Avenue Baptist under Rev. Frederick Rowland Pearson. I was baptised there age 16 by Mr Pearson and left age 18 when we moved to Sheffield. In my time I recall it was a fairly elderly congregation. The land to the side of it where now presumably is the Housing Association flats, used to be the site of a fairly dilapidated, green painted, corrugated tin hall unless my memory is playing tricks. My elder sister was married there by FRP.
ReplyDelete