THE STORY SO FAR

The adventure first began in the 13th Century with Church at St John’s, a daughter church to a church in Slaugham. For us it began in the summer of 2017 when we were sent out from St Peter’s Brighton with a small team. In the September we started a new service at St John’s, alongside the existing traditional services. From that first Sunday we have been blown away by the amazing people of God who have joined us on the journey.

We are part of the HTB Network, which has a big vision, to play our part in the evangelisation of the nations, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society. For us here in Crawley, that means we love Jesus, love church, love people and love Crawley. Alpha, Sundays, Social Action and Discipleship are core to this vision, but what’s really important to us are the steps we take on the journey.

Over the last 5 years, the congregation has grown beyond the walls of St John’s and now has 3 sites, partnering with existing congregations at St Peter’s and St Richard’s.

Church at St Peter's is in West Green, opposite The Swan pub and just down the road from Crawley Hospital. It’s not just the geographic centre of West Green, it’s the centre of the community. For years St Peter's have run book sales, a community cinema and hosted the local girl guides, as well as a traditional Eucharist service at 10am on Sundays. We're really excited to be journeying together, with a vision centring on the established links with the local community, working together to find an expression of social action in West Green.

Church at St Richard’s is in Three Bridges, located opposite Three Bridges Primary School and across the road from the parade of shops. It has the potential to be the beating heart of the community. For many years St Richard's have run groups for pre-school children and their parents and carers, as well as a traditional Eucharist service at 9.30am on Sundays. With a vision focussed on launching a new children and families centre, working with the local schools, and connecting meaningfully with the community throughout the week, we can’t wait to be part of what God’s going to do in Three Bridges.

Church at St John’s is in the centre of town. Our vision for St John’s is to see the building open 24/7 as a House of Prayer, for any of the many passers-by to drop in at any time, pray and light a candle. We’re excited to see the traditional services continue to grow at St John’s with the beginning of a choir and a group of young adults regularly serving as acolytes and preaching at our 9am Eucharist.