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It was a memorable day with the church family, past and present, and the local community turning out in force. Our local MP, Toby Perkins and the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield, Councillor Donald and Mrs Parsons were also there. People were able to inspect the actual Centre (and the newly re-decorated church) and visit the various stalls that were set up representing the different groups associated with St Thomas’, other local churches and the local community. There was plenty for the children to do including a bouncing castle, climbing wall and face painting. One of the main features of the new Centre is the café with its adjacent terrace. Being blessed by glorious sunny weather people were able to sit out and enjoy delicious refreshments from the café and adjacent beer tent. Musical entertainment was provided by singers, choirs and bands from St Thomas’ and the local community. There was a great buzz about the day, with everyone being really impressed by the Centre and its ‘wow’ factor. The Archbishop, accompanied by the Bishop of Derby, Dr Alistair Redfern, spent about an hour with us. After a short service of dedication he cut a ribbon across the entrance to officially declare the Centre open. During the dedication Dr Williams emphasised two points. The first was that the Centre was a place for everyone to come and meet God: without pressure and without the normal church ‘clutter’. The second was that we had to be mindful of God’s creation and look after our environment –something that the church had taken on board when designing this building. The Archbishop then toured the Centre and met with those representing the organisations with displays. Following a cup of coffee and a piece of homemade cake in the café Dr Williams went out into the church grounds to meet and greet before leaving by bus! However not just any bus – he boarded the Church on the Bus which took him to his next engagement –to open the Gates, the new church in Chesterfield Town Centre. Listen to the Dedication Service Listen to Matt talking about the Centre on Radio Sheffield Part 1 Part 2 Slide show of building the Centre  Here are some pictures of the Archbishop's visit. Page 2 Pictutres of the Fun Day
Page 2 Pictutres of the Fun Day
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