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On Sunday, around 70 people gathered in St Margaret’s church hall for a new afternoon service.
The congregation moved out of St Margaret’s building in 2015 as it would have cost £1m to fix structural problems.
The new service is a plant by St Jude’s church nearby and welcomes a mixture of the original St Margaret’s congregation, those who’ve moved from St Jude’s and those who have never tried church before.
The relaunch included lively songs, prayers and testimonies and a sermon on Isaiah chapter 61.
The vicar of St Jude’s, the Rev Mike Duff, who is overseeing the new congregation, opened the service by mentioning the faithful worship at St Margaret’s over more than 100 years.
“It was so sad when worship had to stop here in December 2015, and we want to acknowledge the real grief that people felt at that point,” he said.
He added: “Some of those former congregation members found new homes in nearby churches, but have turned up today to wish us well, and we’re grateful for that.
“It was exciting when St Jude’s was asked to plant a new congregation here, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what God does.”
In his St Jude’s sermon on Sunday, Rev Mike Duff spoke about the importance of church planting in the Bible from the book of Acts saying: “It still works!”
Jill Chalmers, who was the only previous member of St Margaret’s to join the 15-member core team, said: “I really enjoyed it. It’s very lively, and there was a good atmosphere, and it was good to see it so full.”
Aileen Kellam, who was part of St Jude’s Church, said: “There’s always been something in my heart for St Margaret’s.
“I kept in touch and I remember when the church closed down. So it’s lovely to come along and I think we’ll come regularly.”
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