A Brief History of our Church
The first church was built in 1880 to serve the rapidly growing population of Owlsmoor. Funds only extended to an iron-clad building, which became known locally as the "Tin Church."
By the 1950's, the cladding was replaced with Canadian Cedar. An assembly room was added so that the church could serve the community other than for services. Since the rebuild, the church became widely known as the "Cedar Church."
However, the building was short-lived, as it was demolished in 1993 to make way for our new building. ​
Owlsmoor was previously part of the Parishes of Crowthorne and Sandhurst, but became St. George’s in Owlsmoor Parish in 1985. We celebrated 25 years as a separate parish in August 2010 with a Thanksgiving service led by Bishop Alan Wilson, followed by a year of many special events, culminating in a Thanksgiving service in July 2011 celebrated by Bishop John Bone.
The Modern Building
Our modern church building dates from 1993 and features a central worship area with seating for 120 people.
Using stackable upholstered chairs, the space can be used for other activities or hired out during the week. A separate adjoining area with folding doors can expand the worship space for special occasions.
Above the narthex is a chapel with sliding glass panels, accessible via a spiral staircase, which serves as a gallery for musicians, overflow seating, or photography.
The worship area includes a sound system with high-level speakers, a hearing loop, a speaker relay to the Oasis Room, and a state-of-the-art AV system (including a projector and screen) used each Sunday and other occasions.
The stone altar, made of 1.3-tonne South African granite, includes an aumbry for the reserved sacrament.
The church has a Johanus Opus 10 electronic organ, a piano, and a Bell Tower for announcing services.
There are 15 ceramic Stations of the Cross along the walls, a portable wooden font with a copper bowl, and a votive candle stand for prayer offerings.
The sacristy contains a vestment press with five seasonally colored vestments.
Since its consecration in 1993, the church has undergone many improvements, including refitting the Oasis Room with storage, upgrading the Sacristy with new cupboards and drawers, refurbishing the kitchen, and renewing the heating and hot water systems. A wooden cross was added to the building’s exterior in 2012.
About our Stained Glass Window
The round window above the altar, 1.4 meters in diameter, was designed and made by Nicola Kantorowicz and fitted on September 23rd 1993. It was the gift of the Parish of St Michael, Sandhurst. The window depicts scenes from The Book of the Revelation, chapter 4, verses 2-6:
"A throne was set in heaven, and there was a rainbow round the throne, in sight like unto an emerald and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God.... And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.”
An emerald band surrounds the rainbow. The triangles that echo the four corners of the globe are filled with moons and stars. These join to create a circle of eternal golden light around the globe. The center of the globe is divided by the Four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.
The design also uses numerical symbolism. As well as the four elements and the four corners, there are the seven spirits of God in the emerald band. The twenty-four squares suggest the elders around the throne, and the rainbow is divided into twenty-four sections to suggest time.