Always implicit within the group was a conviction that God wanted us to build a Church building as part of the process of establishing a permanent work in Eastern Oswestry, and we had many prayer meetings and 24-hour prayer clocks to discern and affirm God’s will for this to be done. We even discussed whether to buy a pre-fab or a large caravan and put it somewhere. Eventually we were put in touch with a Christian architect and a brick built Church/Community centre was planned and drawings produced by July 1992. However, the original site for the building would necessitate the construction of a very expensive road and we ‘pondered this in our hearts’ and following prayer, felt God wanted us to ‘concentrate on the Living Stones’ of the Church at that time, but that the time for constructing a building would come.

As we were beginning to outgrow the home, The Meadows School was being constructed and we frequently prayed about whether this should be the next ‘home’ for the Church, until we could construct our own building. At one of our 24hour prayer ‘feedback meetings’ one of the congregation shared that he had been walking near the construction site praying and had ‘heard’ voices, singing hymns. He became very excited when he realised the construction site was going to be the school!

This encouraged John Field, Carreg Llwyd elder and designated leader of the fellowship, to approach the Chairman of The Meadows School Governors and the Headmistress. This was a huge step to take as the amount of money we would have to pay out each month seemed enormous! After negotiations our first service was held on Sunday 24th of April 1994. The group that had seemed so big in the house barely filled two rows in the school hall, but we felt excited that we had made the next key step in establishing the Church.

When the elders of CLEC had asked John Field to take responsibility for the Church plant, he felt it would be right for three years, but after that they should look for a younger man. During the time in the school ‘God added to their number’ and at the end of the three years, it seemed right to appoint a Pastor.  Thus Brendan Bassett was invited to ‘preach with a view’. Subsequently Brendan and Lisa joined the church. Could the Church afford a Pastor? It was a huge leap of faith, but we felt that we should do so, allowing him time to further establish the Church congregation and move towards facilitating the Building project. It was during his Pastorship that the decision to change the name to Cabin Lane Church was made.

Brendan was the Church representative at the Unicorn Centre. This was funded by the Borough Council as a Community project and in discussion with members of that committee it became clear it would be better to work towards a community centre that was separate from any Church building. This eventually became the Eastern Oswestry Community Centre.