Buildings and Facilities
Here at Cotton End Baptist Church we have been blessed with excellent facilities and grounds. This enables us to host a wide range of events, as well as allow other Christian groups to use our facilities. So, whether its an Alpha away day, leader's retreat day, birthday party, conference or camping - we can cater for them all.
Main Church Building / Worship Sanctuary
The Main Church Building/Worship Sanctuary was built in 1836, and is typical of a church of that era. The high ceiling and woodwork inside provide excellent acoustics for sound/music. This rich atmosphere has proved an excellent location for sound recording, notably Cathy Burton used CEBC to record her critically acclaimed album Burn Out.
In the early 2000s the church had alterations made inside to remove the pews, carpet the floor and provide chairs. This allows for a greater flexibility in it's use. This means we can worship in different ways, organising to suit the needs of a Messy Church activity, create a circle conducive to a Bible study or prayer, accommodate barns for Christmas and puppet theatres for learning about God in fun ways. We are seeking God to learn more about how God wants to use this building to build his Kingdom in new and different ways (as well as old!) in 2020.
Church Hall
The Church Hall or "School Hall" as its commonly known was originally named after it was used by the local lower school as a class room.
The hall is regularly used for the Youth and Children's work and for our
Messy Church services on the first Sunday of each month.
Attached is a kitchen facility with heated water, cooker, microwave and fridge. The hall is available for community use and hire.
Cottage Rooms
The Cottage Rooms are two smaller rooms used for small groups and informal meetings. Originally part of a cottage in their own right, the Cottage Rooms have been integrated into the main "School Hall" complex, to allow easy access into either part of the building. One of these is rented for a Coffee Club on Thursday mornings, which is well attended and will always welcome new members, whether from Church or from our local area.
Grounds
The church is sited on an acre of beautiful countryside. With a large grass field and an orchard, we have excellent facilities for spending time outdoors. During the summer months our grounds play host to a wide variety of activities, including: fun days, youth groups and sports days.
We love spending time here in dry weather, often using the space to remember how amazing God is in providing the richness of his creation for us to enjoy! This is a particular favourite for our children - Easter Egg hunts, camping, Messy Church excitement all adds to what we understand as church in our fellowship. In recent years the church has had twice yearly camping weekends - mainly for those connected to the church and other friends. Anyone interested is welcome to join in. In 2019, one of the weekends actually had no rain.
The field was up to recently used by the local primary school for their sports activities, but now that they have a new premises, we are praying for wisdom on our use for the field and new ways in which CEBC is being called to serve our local community.