The church outgrew its current building some years ago and on Sunday morning meets at the local secondary 

school.

Although it runs Messy Church for young families, Alpha for adults, children's groups and holiday clubs, lunch clubs for older people and many other activities from its current site, these are often restricted in size because of the small premises.

The new building will accommodate a congregation of at least 300 and space for a growth in church and community activities. Building work is timed to start after completion of a care home on the remaining part of the site.

The new site will place the church within one of the poorest and most deprived communities in the area.

There are already good links with the local community association and the new development offers the opportunity for the church 'to reach out and grow in a new, exciting and challenging way,' according to a church statement.

To mark the purchase, some of the congregation met at the site to pray and deliver invitations to the Alpha course that has just started (pictured).

'This is major step forward and we look forward to having a 21st century building designed to better serve the work of the church as it serves the community of Horley,' said the Revd Russell Braund, the church's pastor.

'Having purchased the land we will now be planning towards the start of the construction process, which also involves raising the necessary funds to begin work.'