Foreword

Note to the reader: This history of our church building was published to coincide with its 100th anniversary, celebrated in 2013.

This year, 2013, marks 100 years of the Church of the Holy Spirit. On this anniversary it is good to remember and give thanks for Canon Greene who was first inspired to build a church on the Southside of Clapham Common.

Of course, one person cannot build a church on their own and it took the passion, commitment, talents and resources of a great number of people to give us this church. Some of them are remembered by name in these pages, most are not recorded but were happy to give of themselves for the glory of God and the good of the community.  This is still very much the case with the Church of the Holy Spirit today.  A great many people work together to make this church a vibrant and lively community: contributing time, money and skills – from engineering expertise to tea-making talents.  All of these contributions are vital and most receive little or no acknowledgement, yet they are given cheerfully with love.

We are blessed with a beautiful building which inspires and shapes our worship. A building which gives us both a material connection to the many people who have gathered here over the last one hundred years and a place for today’s community to come together.  The word church, does not refer to the building but to the community that uses it.  We give heartfelt thanks to God for every member of that community, past and present.

Mother Ruth Burge-Thomas, 2013