In order to ensure our ministry is in a financially viable position for years to come we need your help and are asking and praying for donations totalling over £2.5 million to support three key areas.
75 years of ministry – 75 days of fundraising
NEWS
- Tuesday, 7th February 2023:
- We praise God for £454,434 of gifts received, which means that we are not only debt free, but have enough to launch the Student and Building Projects funds! We have also been so encouraged by the wonderful messages and support by people from around the world, giving evidence of the transforming work of Christ that began here. The Timothy Campaign fundraising is now officially over, but donations are still gratefully received from those who wish to give. Thank you!
- Watch our Thanksgiving meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBq9LjqNzdw
More news
More news
- 31st January 2023:
- It’s hard to believe we’re on the final day of the Timothy Campaign. The last 74 days have flown by! We are very grateful for all that God has done during the campaign and thankful to all of you for your generous sharing, praying and giving towards the ministry here at Capernwray.
- Up to this point we have received over 650 gifts from all over the world, which has just blown us away. It has been amazing to see all of the different ways in which people became friends of the ministry. We’ve been contacted by past students who still fondly look back on their time at Capernwray decades ago, holiday guests both past and present, past staff members, recent students who have been with us the last couple of years and everything in between.
- It has been lovely to be able to read stories from people involved at the very start of the ministry, the impact that some of the teaching had on people’s faith, the fun times and spiritual growth through holidays and how generations of families have all spent time at Capernwray.
- We are looking forward to celebrating together on 7th February, where we’ll be able to confirm the total gifts received and share some time together thanking God for His faithfulness and provision.
- Thank you again for how you’ve engaged, prayed and given with generous hearts towards this campaign!
- 24th January 2023:
- Thank you for £281,661 of gifts so far! Reaching our first milestone of £350,000 would not only enable us to pay back the full bank loan, but we would also save the £32,000 annual loan repayments. With interest rates rising we are thankful to be able to divert that money into the student and building project funds going forward.
- In the last few days we have seen people responding daily with incredible generosity and sacrificial giving from across the world. We wait in faith and thank you in anticipation for your support, praise and prayer for our ministry in this last week.
- 10th January 2023:
- Thank you for £250,000 gifts so far! Can you help us to reach our first milestone of £350,000 to pay off our bank borrowings?
- Eva is a current student here at Capernwray Bible School. In the video below, she describes learning to live as a community of believers in Christ and how our faith should be a part of daily life. With your donations we want to make our courses available to as many future students as possible.
- Watch Eva’s student story here.
- SAVE THE DATES: Our next Zoom online prayer meeting is on Tuesday 17th January 2023 , 6pm (GMT). The login details can be found here. On Tuesday 7th February 2023 we will also be having a Thanksgiving meeting on Zoom.
- 27th December 2022:
- Larry attended Capernwray in 1975-76. In the video below, he looks back on how attending Bible School 46 years ago equipped him for a life with Jesus. With your donations we want to make our courses available to as many future students as possible.
- Watch Larry’s student story here.
- 20th December 2022:
- Thank you for over £140,000 gifts so far! Can you help us to reach our first milestone of £350,000 to pay off our bank borrowings?
- Shanti and Bradley, two of our former students, both found their time at Capernwray transformational for their lives and faith – in the video below they share their experience and main takeaways. With your donations we want to make our courses available to as many future students as possible.
- 15th December 2022:
- Thank you for over £108,000 of gifts so far!
- Our newest video features faces familiar to many of you (Graih Lewin, Phil Burt, Dave Carter, Mike Gregory and our current Winter Bible School students): YouTube
- 13th December 2022:
- Watch our newest video with Derek Burnside, Mark Thomas, Jonathan Halsey and Brian Wickens here: Youtube
- Over 80 people joined us last Friday for our first hybrid prayer meeting of the Timothy campaign, which was such an encouragement to all of us here. It was exhilarating to pray with Capernwray supporters both on screen and in person – technology is a wonderful thing when it can connect God’s people in England, USA, Denmark, Germany, Canada and other locations for an hour of prayer together!
- Save the dates: Tuesday 17th January 2023 & Tuesday 7th February 2023, 6pm (GMT) – our next online prayer & thanksgiving meetings
- 9th December 2022:
- Find our points of praise & prayer on our website to read and download here.
- 6th December 2022:
- We have received £75,000 of donations for the Timothy Campaign so far and we are incredibly thankful for the generosity and encouraged by the worldwide support! We are aware that asking for £2.5 million in the current economic climate is very ambitious and we continue to feel that this is a big step of faith. And yet we trust that the Lord is calling us to continue our mission ‘to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His Church worldwide’. Thank you very much for your ongoing support and considering to help us achieve our three key goals.
- In the upcoming days, flyers will be sent out to many of our supporters and friends in the UK, Europe and North America. If you would like to order more, please let us know on timothycampaign@capernwray.org. You can also download a digital version here to print or share.
- 29th November 2022:
- Join us for our first Timothy Campaign Zoom meeting on Friday 9th December, 6-7pm (GMT) for a short presentation and time for prayer and virtual meeting with friends. The login details will be communicated nearer the time.
- 24th November 2022:
- It is still early days in our Timothy Campaign but we have already been encouraged by the global reaction and donations received. Please continue to share, share, share this fundraising campaign with others, lift it up in prayer and if you feel led, contribute financially.
- As part of the campaign we have filmed staff, students and guests for release over the upcoming weeks. In this first video, Brian and Liz Wickens share their excitement about the ministry of Capernwray and explain how you can support us.
- 18th November 2022:
- Launching the Timothy Campaign – 75 days of fundraising for 75 years of ministry
YouTube video
Overview
As a ministry we strongly believe the Lord is calling us to continue our mission ‘to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His Church worldwide’.
Since the doors of Capernwray Hall were first opened to guests in 1947, the ministry has been blessed to see over 150,000 people from all over the world join us at the Hall for spiritual feeding and to become part of the Torchbearers community, with the indwelling life of Christ at the centre of all we do.
(You can find out more about our history here.)
Our hearts’ desire is to see Capernwray remain open for many years to come, for this generation and for future generations, with the Hall filled with students and guests in order that as many as possible will be transformed and equipped for service in His worldwide church. We love it not only when students and guests return but when, sometimes after a passage of many years, their children, and even their grandchildren join us.
We believe the task of the ministry is just as important today as it was when it was first set up, working to ensure young people have firm foundations in Christ, to weather the storms that this world brings. We are blessed to see first hand God working in people’s lives during their time at Capernwray and long to continue hearing more testimonies like the ones below:
“Capernwray was the most influential part of my growth in understanding how beautiful the Bible is, and that only Christ’s indwelling life enables me to truly and fully live for Him. The lectures challenged me to reflect on my life and to fully surrender to God, whilst His grace and mercy is reflected within the community.”
Pascal attended Bible School in 2016 / 2017
“The past 6 months I have witnessed the beauty of God embodying His people. I have seen how He can take a simple conversation and turn it into a new way of thinking. I have seen how God changes lives, but more than that, I have seen and known the friendship of Jesus. How He wants to know me and do life with me, and this friendship will carry me through the years.”
Sara attended Bible School in 2017/2018
In order to ensure the ministry is in a financially viable position for years to come we need your help and are asking and praying for donations totalling over £2.5 million to support three key areas.
We’ve called the campaign the Timothy Campaign, as like Timothy, many of our students are young in years but with a heart’s desire to study the Scriptures, grow in their love of the Lord and to live lives of service and witness.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”
1 Timothy 4:12-13
Areas of need
YouTube video
1) Clear Covid Debt – £350,000
Following a period of closure in 2020 during the pandemic, which was followed by significantly reduced guest and student numbers it was necessary to borrow £350k from the bank in order to ensure the necessary finances were in place to remain open.
We believe our first priority is to pay back this emergency debt funding, particularly in light of rising interest rates in the UK making the monthly repayment more expensive.
2) Launch a Student Sponsorship Fund – £1,500,000
Given the real increases in our underlying costs and a desire to ensure the long term sustainability of the ministry, it has been necessary to increase our fees. With tuition, food and accommodation all included we strongly believe Capernwray Bible School still offers great value for money and consider the fees a worthwhile investment in a student’s future.
A core part of Capernwray’s vision is to ensure that the opportunity to study God’s Word and experience His transformational presence is available to as many students as possible. We are therefore looking to build a student sponsorship fund so that those who are not able to cover the full fees themselves can easily access this fund (which will grant them a 20% reduction of fees).
A fund of £1.5m will help ensure that we have the means of providing sponsorship to those that need it for up to the next 10 years.
We regularly receive contact from past students, whether from 5, 10, 20, or 40 years ago and the one thing we hear all the time is that their time at Capernwray transformed their life and gave them the grounding they needed. Needless to say we’d love to hear stories like that for many years to come and having the funds to sponsor those that otherwise couldn’t afford to attend a Capernwray Bible School is key to that.
YouTube video
YouTube video
3) Create a Building Projects fund – £650,000
So much of the ministry at Capernwray is tied up with the place. We are so very thankful for the beautiful and historic building we have in Capernwray Hall, along with the recent Dining Hall building and the new Conference Hall complex, constructed 15 and 10 years ago. Both have been wonderful additions – much needed and used.
The Hall itself is a wonderful legacy and an iconic part of the ministry. It has served this ministry amazingly well over the last 75 years and yet unsurprisingly is very costly to maintain and run to meet the needs of 21st century students. It needs some vital renovations and improvements.
A number of cost saving projects have been completed over the years, including moving to a woodburner and a water borehole. We are also so thankful for all of the development completed during the Platinum Jubilee project before the pandemic. Those improvements to the reception area, bookshop, front drive and beehive bedrooms make day to day life at Capernwray run more smoothly and are a real benefit to the students and guests.
But there are still many areas in need of investment. Some of the key priorities are (more information on each priority below):
- investment in a solar panel system to help ensure energy viability as utility costs continue to increase
- renovation of the Beehive / stable cafe area to create a more intimate pastoral / social space
- upgrades to the Main Hall social rooms through double glazing, heating & redecorating to ensure they can still be used by the community having served the ministry so well for many years
- development of a music practice space
- updates to meet current expectations for furniture
How You can Support us
1) ENGAGE
Please share this campaign with your family, friends, church or on social media and help us spread the word!
Subscribe to our mailing list to keep informed about the campaign’s progress and what is happening at Capernwray.
If you would like to talk to a member of staff about the campaign, please send an email to timothycampaign@capernwray.org to arrange a phone call.
We would also love to hear about your time at Capernwray and how the Lord has used it to work in your life. Please share your feedback with us by emailing timothycampaign@capernwray.org
2) PRAY
We have seen the Lord’s provision in so many ways over the years and give thanks to our God for His faithfulness and people’s generosity.
Please join us in lifting this campaign up to God in prayer. You can find our specific points of praise & prayer below or here to download.
SAVE THE DATES: Our next hybrid (in person and online) prayer meetings take place on Tuesday, 17th January 2023 and Tuesday, 7th February 2023, 6pm (GMT). More details will follow nearer the time – we would love to see you there.
PRAISE
- 75 years of ministry
- For many faithful supporters of the ministry throughout the years
- For the many lives that have encountered the living Lord Jesus through the ministry of Capernwray
- Over £250,000 of gifts so far from hundreds of supporters worldwide
- Wonderful messages of encouragement giving evidence of the transforming work of Christ that began here
- A successful and inspirational New Year Starter holiday
- The safe return of our students from their Christmas break, many of whom were travelling all over Europe
- For over 90 applications from prospective students for Spring Bible School 2023
PRAYER
GENERAL
- That God would bless our channels of communication (website, social media, newsletter, flyers, etc.) to reach the people who want to give
- That people would share and help us spread the word in these final days of the campaign
- That we would place our trust in God to meet our financial need when it seems humanly impossible
COVID DEBT
- That the final £100k would come in during these last days of the campaign
- An increase in student numbers for Spring and Winter Bible School 2023-24.
- Wise financial stewardship as a ministry
STUDENT FUND
- Acceptance of the raised fees for potential students who can afford to pay the full price
- That we can increase the number of students for whom Bible School is unaffordable through the student fund
- That we can encourage more students from the UK to attend Bible School
- That we can establish a fund that is easy to access and well administered
BUILDING PROJECTS
- That we would be good stewards of the beautiful buildings and grounds that God has given us
- Essential infrastructure improvements:
- Beehive & stable block – £115,000
- Main House – Lounge, Library & Games Room, especially windows – £130,000
- Renewable energy source – £275,000
- Worship space – £20,000
- Main House – bathroom upgrades – £65,000
- Furniture upgrade – £55,000
Throughout the campaign we will be arranging Zoom prayer meetings.
If you are interested in organising a local prayer meeting, we would love to share more details with you – please email timothycampaign@capernwray.org.
3) GIVE
Your donations are very much appreciated and are an opportunity for you to invest in God’s work at Capernwray today and for many years to come.
We will prioritise the donations as follows:
| 1) The first £350k of the campaign will be used to repay the existing Covid Debt funding |
| 2) Every pound given after that will be equally split between the Student Sponsorship Fund and the Building Projects Fund |
| 3) Once the total (£650k) for Building Projects has been reached (and total giving reaches £1,650k), the next £850k will go exclusively to the Student Sponsorship Fund |
| 4) In the eventuality that the total fundraising target (£2.5m) is exceeded, the charity will direct any further giving as it sees fit in compliance with its charitable objectives. |
BANK TRANSFER
Bank Transfers are easy to set up through online banking or by contacting your bank by phone or in person.
| From overseas: Account: The Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers IBAN: GB97 NWBK 010160 94905924 Swift / BIC: NWBK GB 2L Account no: 94905924 Through Torchbearers International it is possible to give in a tax efficient way from the US and Germany. For more details, please click here. |
| From the UK: Account: The Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers Sort Code: 01-01-60 Account no. 94905924 Don’t forget if you are a UK tax payer you could add 25% to the value of your donation by filling out a GiftAid form online. Alternatively, you can download a printable Gift Aid declaration form or find out more about Gift Aid here. |
Cheques can be posted too: CMFOT (reference: “Timothy Campaign”)
PAYPAL
Another option is through PayPal by using the following button: PayPal. You don’t need to have a PayPal account to give in this way, and if you are a UK tax payer you can also easily GiftAid your donation.
Detailed Capital Project Information
- Beehive & Stable Block
- Main House – Lounge, Library & Games Room
- Renewable energy source
- Worship space
- Main House – bathrooms
- Furniture upgrade
Beehive & Stable Block – £115,000
Work has already begun on renovating the bedrooms and providing new shower and bathroom facilities upstairs to provide warm and comfortable accommodation. For anyone who has stayed in that wing previously, you will no doubt understand the need to replace the windows, improve the bathrooms and increase the insulation in the building. We have seen male student numbers decline over recent years and are very keen to reverse that trend! We have therefore invested to make sure that the male accommodation block will be attractive in the future.
The ground floor of that block is also in need of renovation. We have plans to open up the Beehive and Stable rooms to create a warm, cafe-style space, cosy enough for hanging out, playing board games and having pastoral chats. As part of these changes we plan to lower the floor to increase accessibility and replace the staircase to the upstairs accommodation to make the entrance safer. Creating a more intimate space is something that our students have been longing for and we are keen to see the Courtyard area fully utilised.
Main House – Lounge, Library & Games Room – £130,000
While they are all large and beautiful rooms, one side effect of having the new Dining Hall and Conference Hall has been a reduction in their use – because we can’t keep them as warm as we would like and because they need redecoration and renovation.
We think there would be real value in upgrading these spaces so that we can unlock more social spaces for the student and holiday guest community, bringing life back into these significant rooms of the main house. In order to do this we need to invest in double glazing to reduce the heat loss, improve the central heating, replace the furnishings and redecorate them.
Renewable Energy Source – £275,000
We are very thankful that we were able to fix our electricity costs for a number of years prior to the dramatic market increases that have been seen recently. With our contract coming up for renewal in October 2023 we could be looking at a three to four times increase of our electricity bill, meaning an extra cost of £120k – £180k a year to the ministry.
At a time when utility costs are putting organisations out of business, we are keen to ensure our long term sustainability – and are looking to provide the power needed to run this expansive site by installing solar panels within the estate.
Worship Space – £20,000
Over the last 2 years we have remodelled the basement to create a new craft area for those wanting to spend time doing artistic projects and a new gym to ensure that we’re able to offer a good fitness stream alongside our strong sports programme.
By moving the fitness room out of the Sports Hall and into the basement we now have space available which we’d like to turn into two music practice rooms for students. At the moment there is nowhere on site dedicated to practising instruments, which means it is difficult to find somewhere to make music without disrupting others.
Capernwray has been blessed with many talented musicians such as Skye Peterson over the years. We believe it would be a real benefit for future students to offer a dedicated space for practising instruments and growing in their expression of musical worship.
Main House – Bathroom Upgrades – £65,000
In order to provide appropriate ratios of showers and toilets around the main house accommodation, while also making sure that guests enjoy warm and comfortable facilities, we need to invest in a number of new bathrooms around the house.
Expectations have rightly increased over the years and we want to ensure that we are still able to provide facilities which meet the needs of those staying with us. It is vital that our accommodation remains fit for purpose and that guests and students can confidently recommend others to come.
Furniture Upgrade – £55,000
We want to continue the programme of upgrading beds, mattresses, chairs and tables around the site to continue to make the Hall as comfortable as possible to our guests and students.
