Rev Dr Keith Poole from Christ's Heart Church, Dudley talks about how the church went from the threat of closure, to now being a beacon of success.

Rev Dr Keith Poole from #Christ'sHeartChurch, #Dudley talks about how the church went from the threat of closure, to now being a beacon of success.

Transcript

00:00Hi there, my name is Keith Poole, and this is the Christ Heart Church in Netherton, Dudley.

00:06We meet in what was the People's Mission Hall on Swan Street in Netherton, Dudley.

00:13We've been here just under two years, and when we came in August 2023,

00:19there was on average about eight people in the church for their congregation.

00:24Now we reach around about the 65 to 70 mark.

00:30As a result of the new people coming in, we've made a decision that we're going to have to extend certain parts of the building.

00:37So outside the front of the church was an old building, which we are converting to be a children's centre for children,

00:45where they can come in holidays, evenings, weekends, for all sorts of activities.

00:50And at the top of the site, we're having to extend what is the kitchen to make a very large industrial kitchen

00:58because of the different programmes we run and the food and the meals that we have and the catering for people.

01:06We need more facilities.

01:07So there's been a massive turnaround in the church.

01:10From what it was, it was slowly dying, and the church has turned itself around in that sense.

01:17We've become a growing church, and last week we had a multicultural service,

01:23and there was all sorts of cultures, languages of people represented, Indian, Asian, African, Caribbean, Welsh, European, English.

01:33There was a vast array of different cultures represented in the church.

01:38So, you know, it's a massive turnaround, and we thank God that this place is not dying and the doors are not closing,

01:47but the doors are firmly open for people to come.

01:50So if you're interested, you have children, or if you just want to come yourself, you're very welcome to come.

01:56We have disabled access facilities as well.

01:59So you're very welcome.

02:00Come, we meet on a Sunday, 10.45 in the morning, and I would welcome you with open arms.

02:06I'll guarantee that you will get a warm, very warm welcome from everybody who's here.