Our story, like that of many churches has been (and continues to be) an adventure full of triumphs, failures, challenges, solutions, set-backs and steps forward. Through it all God has been faithful and has helped us. It wouldn't be possible to write here about all the events of our church history but we provide a brief outline.
The Pentecostal Movement and Assemblies of God
Alsager Community Church belongs to a group of Pentecostal Churches called The Assemblies of God and so our story must include an explanation of who they are...
AoG (GB) is just one of a number of Pentecostal groups in this country and the Pentecoastal movement worldwide is a massive proportion of the worldwide church with hundreds of millions of adherants. It began around the turn of the 20th Century and spread to many countries of the world (and has continued to do so ever since).
A group of leaders from these UK churches met together in the early 1920s and decided to form a network (or in the terms they used, fellowship) of affiliated independent churches who would be connected together in relationship and cooperation. These independent churches would then have a covering of accountability whilst still preserving their autonomy. Assemblies of God groups exist all over the world but in many cases structure themselves quite differently to the UK fellowship.
Our History
In 1971, Ray and Barbara Holdcroft started what was then known as Alsager Pentecostal Church. At first it met in homes, but soon after moved into a Guide Hut on the main road, where the church building now stands. The building was bought by the church in 1976 but was already past its prescribed use-by date! The decision was taken in the late 80s, to build a new building, on the same site which would provide additional facilities for the growing church.
Permanent but temporary
The challenge that the church faced was that it didn't own the land and only had a 5 year lease. They believed God would give them the land (and we now own it) but had to be responsible. The church members built a new church after virtually inventing a new construction method, in such a way that if need be, it could be dismantled and moved. They moved into the new building in 1990 and the old guide hut was sold to an angler's society and dismantled. Part of this new facility was a coffee shop.
Our building remains a busy place with our own programme and a range of groups who hire it.
Ministers came and went...Names change...
Ray moved on in 1993 (He is still local, having since started and remaining part of, the Rhema Mission Church in Rode Heath) and was succeeded by Chris Scire who changed the name of the church to Alsager Christian Ministry Centre. He continued to lead the church during which time a church was planted in Audley, until 2000.
He in turn, was then suceeded by Matthew and Christine Wright who served as Pastors until 2012 after over 13 years of ministry into the church, having first become associated with the church whilst students at the Elim Bible College, then in Nantwich. They changed the name again, to Alsager Community Church.
The current Minister, Pete Howard arrived in July 2013 and in 2014 the church underwent an almost complete refurbishment to the building in preperation for the next chapter of what we believed God is going to do. This has included adding to our facilities with a new modular building on our land which currently still serves as a community resource as home to the now independent ALSAGER COMMUNITY SUPPORT, which was started as a project of the church in 2015.
The Building also provides a home for the ALSAGER & DISTRICT FOODBANK, which began in 2013 and remains part of the church.
The journey continues...
