The following was written some years ago.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LITTLE COMMON METHODIST CHURCH
The history of the people called Methodists in Little Common has been linked to our buildings right from the very beginning, for God has continually been urging us to expand and develop His work. The very earliest chapel in the area was built in 1837 on waste land. This most unusual Turf Chapel stood for 22 years when it was replaced on the same site by a pretty brick building. This chapel was in use until 1926 when, after some eleven years of planning and searching for a more central site, the church which forms the oldest part of the present complex of buildings was opened.
These premises served the Methodists of Little Common well until the population of the area began to grow in the 1950s. A hall was added in 1953 to replace the hut in which the Sunday School had been meeting and in 1964 the south aisle and a new front porch were opened.
As the housing developments of the area continued to grow so did the need for more space. The hall was enlarged in 1974 and in 1988 the Wesley Rooms to the south of the church were opened.
In the autumn of 1991 we celebrated the opening of yet another extension, a multi-purpose vestibule. This extension is not only an area for gathering before and after a service or for accommodating larger congregations, but it offers a further means of proclaiming the good news to the surrounding area. We hope that its many windows say that God’s presence is not confined to the holy places but is visible throughout all human activity. We hope that its many entrances are a sign of welcome to all comers and that its multi-purpose nature is a sign of the many activities of God’s people, through which his creative and loving purposes are fulfilled.
In 2006 the old wooden chairs were replaced with modern red-covered chairs which means the layout can be varied according to the needs of special services such as Family or Parade services.
Throughout the history of Methodism in Little Common, God’s grace has been made abundantly manifest in the way he has provided for his people. At every stage in the many phases which have brought us to this point, the people with ideas, energy and financial resources have come forward to plan and guide the projects to completion. We thank God for all these people.
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Update 2023
It is 17 years since the last date, 2006, mentioned in the above account. What has happened during those years? Clearly our numbers have decreased considerably from those days. However, we still retain an active, caring, welcoming, worshipping community. Two very generous bequests have enabled us to have major repairs and improvements to the buildings carried out.