Meet the Team
Why I support the Kairos Centre Project…
Charlie Nobbs – Chairman of the Kairos Centre Project
I believe God wants to give us this great building to bless us and bless Grange Park and beyond. I am convinced that this is the right thing for Grange Park Church and that God is inviting us to step into what He wants to do. But it is also a step of faith; if we already had all the money and all the answers it would require no faith and we would be tempted to think we had achieved it by our strength and skill. God wants to show us that it is His building and that He will provide all we need as we lean on Him. I invite you to join me, the leadership team and the project team in taking this step of faith together and throwing our full weight behind what God want to do – I’m so looking forward to the great things we will see in God’s place in Grange Park – the Kairos Centre.
Lisa Smith – Project Manager
Why did I become involved in the Kairos Centre Project? In 2006, when GPC was first considering taking on the empty building, Charlie asked the church members to have a day of prayer and fasting to see what God was saying about it. I fasted, and as I was asking God about the Kairos Centre the words ‘lonely’ and ‘lonely people’ resounded over and over in my head. I wasn’t sure whether I was hearing God or my thoughts, so I asked God to help me determine whose voice it was. I then opened my Bible at Psalm 68, and the line ‘God sets the lonely in families’ jumped out at me (verse 6). Ever since then I have had a passion for the Kairos Centre and a belief that it will be an inclusive place where everyone will feel welcome and where lonely people will be able to find friendship and community.
Emma Mumford – Project Team
I came onboard the Kairos Centre Team only recently, after being asked by Lisa Smith (Project Manager). I was thrilled to be asked as now feel I have been given the opportunity to give something back to GPC as it has helped me so much in the four years I have been living in the community. I now feel very passionate about helping to create an amazing place where EVERYONE is welcome and look forward VERY much in being able to help spread good news to Grange Park.
Angie Kennedy – Project Team
The Kairos Centre project means a great deal to me. I have been privileged to experience real community at work in Grange Park through Stepping Stones, Journeys and Church and I believe the Kairos Centre will extend that sense of community throughout the whole of Grange Park and beyond. I was given a picture where I saw a great God filled light flooding into the building and when the building was full, the light exploded to send light bursting through the businesses in the precinct and to light every home in Grange Park. Although the challenge of raising such a large amount of money is huge, the opportunity it will bring to the community outweighs the risk enormously. I believe we have to trust in God to guide and support us in this venture with the aim ultimately to spread His light and word to anyone this project touches now and in the future.
Lester Williams – Quantity Surveyor
I try to live my life by looking for those places and circumstances where God is at work, and then asking Him if I am to be involved. It seems to me that what has now become the Kairos Centre Project was, and is, an opportunity presented to us, and not sought by us. It is always good to test such opportunities, but always keeping close to God’s direction. My involvement to date, has been a pleasure, using the skills which I have been given. It is my personal vision that the building is not just a tool to reach out to others in the community, but also to be a blessing to those of us already involved with the church….’bring it on’!
David Babister – Architect
My involvement with GPC stems back some way to my time at St Giles Church in Northampton where Charlie was curate. Upon establishment of GPC, Charlie and I kept in touch and despite moving from the area, I was very pleased to be asked to look at the architectural possibilities of the then vacant library building. Over the last 2 years we have worked hand in hand with both GPC and South Northants Council to agree the best way forward for the design of the building. We have also endeavoured to ensure that the final outcome meets the requirements of GPC whilst keeping an eye on the practicalities and legalities. Whilst our appointment has been on a professional basis, we see the development of the Kairos Centre as a significant step in the success of Grange Park. We feel privileged to be involved in the project and are very much looking forward to seeing the Grange Park community flourish as a result.
Steve Churchus – Electrical Engineer
We moved to Northampton in 2004 and have attended GPC ever since. I have always felt that the people at GPC, although coming from all over the world and from different backgrounds, have been brought together by God to this place at this time to work for Him. I feel the Kairos Centre project is part of that purpose so that we have a place from where we can touch the community. I have worked in the electrical industry for over 20 years, most recently in Lighting. During that time I have developed an understanding of the design and construction process which I feel I can input at this stage of the project.
Helen Preston – Advising on recruitment
Having moved to Grange Park 2 years ago on my own, I understand the need for community. It is often a daunting prospect to meet new people in a new area and I am hugely grateful to Grange Park Church, Charlie and Charlotte for making me feel so welcome. My enthusiasm for the Kairos Centre comes from knowing that many people in our community feel loneliness and long for a relaxed place to meet and socialise. I think the project, and the people working hard to make it a success, is a wonderful outlet to expand on the already friendly community that I have come to love, which is Grange Park. We now live in a society where people’s lives are hectic and stressful. I have faith that the Kairos Centre will become an affordable place where people can unwind and relax in the midst of lively and giving surroundings. The Centre will also enhance the structure of Grange Park Church and their excellent work within Grange Park and beyond.
Roger Martin – Digital Marketer
Charlie & Charlotte Nobbs have worked hard to bring the Grange Park Community together, and my wife is testament to this. When we first moved onto Grange Park in 2002 she knew no-one. The development was still being built and the influence that groups like Mums & Toddlers, and Stepping Stones had on bringing Mums and children together was a unfying experience. Shortly afterwards GPC started the Journeys course, and I attended an Alpha course. The groups were held in various homes across Grange Park and were hugely rewarding. The possibility of having a centre, a focal point for the community to benefit from these groups and be able to ask questions about where God and religion might fit into their lives is a powerful proposition, and we believe that the Kairos Centre will be very good news for Grange Park.
Hi Kairos Centre
I wonder if someone can help me? I am trying to get in touch with Caroline Strawson, who organised the business mums showcase at the Kairos Centre recently. Apparently she is trying to organise one for October and I would love to get involved.
I am a mum first, and I run two businesses that fit around my domestic life. It was great to see the article in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo recently about business mums on 26th May.
Many thanks.