Start of Play Group 

Little Fishes Play Group was opened in September 1995.

The inauguration of the Worthing Area Team Ministry

The Team Ministry covered four United Reformed Churches from Central and North East  Worthing, through West Worthing and Goring to Rustington about 7 miles west of Worthing. 
There were two full time ministers Rev Peter Heckels  and Rev Margaret Ashby; and two part time ministers Rev Simon Franklin and Rev Norman Croft.

Decoration of the Sanctuary

2000 - 2009

So now the twenty-first century has arrived,
2000 years after the birth of Jesus Christ.

We began our story of the church during the 1930’s when virtually traffic free roads would have been experienced; no television or videotape recorders; just the wireless with the BBC Home Service and Light Programme. During the last seven decades we have seen that a church has been born, many buildings have been erected including a church hall, Sunday school hall and of course a church itself, alterations made to suit the varying needs of the time, and many people have come and moved on to numerous places.

Who could possibly have guessed , even just ten years ago, that by this year many homes would have computers in them with access to the World Wide Web and with facilities which enable electronic mailing (E-Mail) across the world for the price of a local telephone call, and that this Church would have a Web Site !!!!

Life doesn’t stand still, however, and we mustn’t allow ourselves to dwell on the past but to look forward in anticipation of the good times ahead that the Lord has for us.

It is important though that we should establish a firm foundation before moving on, and having read the preceding pages, I believe this we have done. We thank the Lord for the love, commitment, and devoted service these people who have gone before us had over the years in order that many more have been able to come to this place to worship, and for us now to have this church to worship and to serve our Lord in this neighbourhood. The Chronicle Editor

So what has happened since the turn into a new millennium ?

The start of a 2 or 3 year programme to decorate the exterior of the church buildings was made at the end of April 2000. A number of volunteers ‘turned up’ in their working clothes on Bank Holiday Monday morning ready to start work on the main hall. By the end of the week the hall and one or two miscellaneous areas had been beautifully painted leaving the East & West Halls and most of the main church building for another time.

Rev Andrew Sellwood from Leicester is called to the Team.

During September 2000 the Rev Andrew Sellwood received a call from the Worthing Area Team which he accepted. Andrew,  and family moved to Worthing from Leicester towards the end of 2000. Andrew joins Margaret Ashby, Norman Croft and Simon Franklin, the other Worthing Area Team Ministers.

Re-roofing of the East and West Halls

At temperatures around 34°C [95°F] in August of 2003 contractors battled with the heat to strip off the old roof and replace with new felt, battens and about 3000 tiles.  this is the fist time that the roof had been attended to since the opening of the Sunday School Hall in November 1950.

EMMANUEL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, WORTHING

The inaugural service took place on Sunday 2 January joining together congregations from Shelley Road and St Columba's United Reformed Churches.

Formation of Joint Pastorate with St Andrew's, Rustington

Towards the end of 2003, Elders from both St Andrew's and Goring Churches were discussing quite independently the possibility of a joint pastorate.

This would enable one minister (Rev Andrew Sellwood at the present time) to focus more accurately on the two congregations.  Likewise the two congregations would be able to more readily relate to the minister. The inauguration service took place at the last 'Team Service' on the 17 April 2005 with the Joint Pastorate coming into being on the 1 May 2005.

Wear and Tear of the Buildings

By this time, the Church Sanctuary and Halls were showing signs of considerable ware and tear. Some leaks into the Sanctuary from the roofs were evident, and worrying leaks in and around the Cornwall Room. With this in mind plans were drawn up to completely redesign the little used Cornwall Room and thereby making it and the toilets more accommodating and useful.

Towards the end of the decade in 2009, work started on refurbishing the Cornwall Room  -  a new suspended ceiling with concealed lighting was constructed, double doors connecting the new room with the main hall, radiators, carpeting and widened entrance doors and lobbies. Both the Main Hall and the Cornwall Room was decorated.

Fire Action Plans and escape routes were put in place together with a fire alarm system. Safety Plans were also looked at and the documentation process started.

Cornwall Room
Entrance Lobby
Carpeted Room with soft wall lighting and daylight strip lights