Hadleigh Baptist Church in Essex has been present in the town for almost 99 years and has a leadership comprising an elder, a team of deacons and Tom Pender is their student minister. Tom will shortly complete his second year of ministerial training at Spurgeon’s College.
The church has a number of regular activities, including a weekly ladies group, as well as a regular prayer and bible study group, and in addition to that, there is an indoor bowls group and also Tots and craft groups, run by church members, aiming to reach out to the community. There is also involvement at the local primary school with assemblies and children also visit the church at times.
2026 will be their centenary year with celebrations already being planned. The church is currently creating a community garden at the back of the church, which will result in being a reflective and diverse place for the community, also including a hands-on area for children. This is now starting to take shape and the aim is for its completion to be in time for the centenary year and its celebrations, with a formal opening at that time.
Future aims are for the church to build on community and school involvement with the aim of demonstrating that church is not a strange place but welcomes everyone. In the interim they seek to attend the town’s Christmas and Summer fairs, giving things away and blessing people, something which surprises people, to receive something free.
The church has been encouraged by seeing an increase in church attendance over the last year and would value prayer for:
– All its preparations for their centenary celebrations in June 2026.
– For its work within the community, Tom’s motto being: ‘If church disappeared would people notice?’
– And for discernment to see how and where God is directing the church’s general direction.
5th October 2025
28th September 2025
21st September 2025
