Your kingdom come

in the heart of the city

The story so far

In 2018 the Diocese of Chelmsford invited a group of church planters from St Michael & All Angels, Westcliff to plant a new congregation into St John’s in the heart of Southend. Originally, about 35 adults and children committed to this new, church planting vision for our town centre:

“TO BE A CHURCH OF DIVERSE PEOPLE TRUSTING AND FOLLOWING JESUS, LOVING AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, SERVING OUR PARISH AND SUPPORTING CHURCH REVITALISATION IN SOUTHEND FOR OUR GREATEST JOY; THE GLORY OF GOD.”

This is how we started…

In September 2019 the team began meeting regularly to plan, pray, and worship together in anticipation of the launch in September 2020. We launched online and spent the first 6 months waiting for Covid restrictions to ease and the fantastic new renovation of this city centre church to complete.

We then began meeting in-person on Easter Sunday 2021. Since then we have grown to become a diverse congregation drawing nearly 200 people each week to our Sunday services and many more through our ministries and events throughout the week.

And we’ve not stopped planting! In March 2022, we sent out a team with Revd Steve Collier to revitalise Christ Church, our neighbouring parish 2 miles out to the East of us. Then in Nov 2025 we sent a second team with Revd Linda Saville to revitalise St Andrew’s Westcliff 2 miles West of us.

This has released new people into ministry opportunities, those who have gone have stepped into new vocations and those who have stayed have too! And all the churches are continuing to grow with this church planting vision to this day.

From this movement, originating from St Michael’s, a network of four local, Evangelical and Anglican churches has emerged with a passion for gospel growth in Southend.

We meet in different ways as partner churches, culminating in our annual weekend away together at Belchamps Activity Centre. We are passionate about the Lord Jesus and long for all to know his love, his forgiveness and the life he offers us in all its fullness.