The Continuation of Christ’s Ministry
God has blessed us with a building so that we can meet as the body of Christ; we have been given the responsibility of forming other ministerial gifts. We are currently in the stage of restoring the building and bringing it into compliance with the city of Leicester, Ma.
Follow us at:
Click on the link below to make a donation: The Refuge Christian Center Building Renovation
History of the Building:
Built in the 1840s, the building was originally designed as a place of worship, or a church; when A small group of members first held Methodist worship services in the Town Hall in 1842. Only four years later, two Methodist churches were built in Leicester, this one, Wesleyan Methodist, and the other, Methodist Episcopal, in Cherry Valley. In 1867, both groups joined together as Wesleyan Methodist, and continued to meet in this building. In 1892, the church was “beautifully refurbished” and served the congregation for 37 years as the Sanderson Methodist Church. However, membership decreased and finally the church disbanded. Leicester Grange #390 bought the building on April 24, 1929. Known as “the farmers’ association,” the Grange emphasized projects in home and community services such as sponsoring the “annual fair” and providing the original bandstand. Until September 14, 1988, when dissolved, the Grange was the center of activity for many Leicester residents. The building was empty for only a short time. It was purchased in December 1989, and returned to its original function as a place of worship for the Church of Christ and later to be sold in May 2006. Since then, the building was used for a retail lighting store until June 2022, when we purchased it to be restored again as a place of worship; completely dedicate to the serves of the Lord.
Once the building is up and running, we intend to develop the ministerial gifts of every believer who comes to us with a desire to serve our God. We are not trying to build a mega-church like many do today; instead, we will focus on the restoration work of each individual that the Lord sends to us. We have a specific ministry assignment that we intend to fulfill with the Lord’s help and bring glory to His Holy Name. In no way do we claim to be better than other houses of worship, nor are we in competition with others; we simply want to accomplish the divine assignment that the Lord has entrusted to us. We pray that other places will also be used for the glory of God and that they will also accomplish God’s divine purpose; there is much work to be done, we just want to be able to serve in that work.
Besides preaching the Gospel of Christ, we are planning to render a service to the community of the city of Leicester, Lord willing; in which we can help the elderly with a meal, winter jacket, etc.
In order to get the building up and running, we need to renovate the following areas:
The downstairs meeting room, which will be used to serve hot meals such as Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas dinners, etc.
The upper level: This is the sanctuary area where we will hold prayer and worship services as well as Bible studies. In this area we need a handicap bathroom for people with disabilities. We also need a wheelchair lift on the side of the building so that people with disabilities can use it.
The exterior of the building has already been renovated, the only thing that needs to be done is the front steps of the building.
The building has been quite neglected by the previous owners, but we believe that once the building is completed, it will be a blessing to the community of Leicester and surrounding areas. The interior demolition is complete, but we still need to do the following: electrical work, carpeting, sanctuary stage, some framing, sheetrock and plastering, exterior paving, and of course painting.
With your support, we can restore this building and be a blessing in someone’s life.
Let’s make a difference in our community by joining us in this ministerial project. Click here to see more pictures of our building.
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” Proverbs 19:17
We are a non-profit organization, legally registered as such in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the entire cost of the renovation has so far been covered by God’s provision. If you would like to donate to this ministerial project, you are more than welcome to do so.
We would like to thank you for your time, and we pray that our Lord will continue to bless you and yours.
Pastor Rev. Jay Werman
You can contact us through the form below:
Send us an email at: refugechristiancenter1@gmail.com
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