‘Know that the churches in Coney Hill are praying for you’

A new outdoor projector at St Oswald’s Church, Coney Hill is displaying an image of a cross on its church tower, giving local people a positive reminder that they are loved and prayed for.

The project, which has been made possible thanks to two grants from the Mission Grant Fund, was launched on 31 October as part of St Oswald’s Light Night celebrations.

To spread the word, the church delivered postcards to homes across the parish for its Light Night event, inviting people along to see the new projection and enjoy a free barbecue. The postcards also said: ‘When you see the tower of the church lit up, know that the churches in Coney Hill are praying for you’.

It’s an idea that’s been a few years in the making. St Oswald’s is a brick building with a large tower that can be seen across much of the parish, but there is no cross anywhere on its exterior. Fixing one to the tower would have meant costly planning permission and ongoing maintenance, so a projected cross was the simpler solution.

“There was a former church member, no longer with us, who really wanted to see a cross displayed on the tower. The idea stayed with us, and then another church member, Alec, suggested using an outdoor projector to display images on the building,” said the Revd Rachel Beere of St Oswald’s.

“After borrowing a projector to try out the idea at last year’s Light Night celebrations, we decided to take things further. With funding, seeking advice about our carbon footprint, and obtaining the necessary permissions in place, the project is now up and running.”