As we step into a brand new year, we believe there is no better way to begin than by seeking God together.
We’re excited to announce that we’ll be kicking off 2026 as a church family with 21 Days of Prayer. This is an invitation to pause, refocus, and intentionally devote ourselves — and the year ahead — to Jesus.
For 21 days, we’ll gather in person to seek the presence of God, call on His name, and create space for Him to move in our lives, our church, our town and our nation. We believe prayer changes things, and we’re expectant for all that God will do as we come before Him together.
This will be an all-in church family moment, so we won’t be running Life Groups or any other competing events during this time. Our heart is to journey through these days as a united church family, making prayer our shared priority as we begin the year.
All meetings will take place at Welcome Church, with the following schedule:
Dates:
Monday 5th January – Sunday 25th January 2026
Times:
Monday to Thursday: 7pm to 8pm
Fridays: 7am to 8am
Saturdays: 9am to 10am
Sundays: 6pm to 7pm
Whether you can make it to every session or just a few, you are so welcome. Come as you are, bring your faith, your hopes, and your prayers — and let’s start 2026 together centred on Jesus.
We can’t wait to see you there.
And don’t forget, you can see in the New Year with us too at our Crossover service on New Years Eve. It’s not too late to book your tickets by clicking on the image below:
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What a Sunday! What a celebration! What a moment in the life of our church!
I hope you loved the Carol Services as much as I did. It was an unforgettable day, filled with joy, worship, generosity, and the unmistakable sense that God was at work among us.
Our best estimate is that 2,762 people joined us across both the adult Carol Services and the children’s Christmas parties that ran alongside them. That makes this the largest single Sunday in Welcome Church’s 146-year history — something truly worth celebrating and thanking God for.
The 11am, 4:30pm, and 7pm services were completely full, with only the 2pm service having any remaining space. We’re already praying, dreaming, and planning about how we can increase our capacity for next year 🙂
Thank You
Moments like this don’t happen by accident — they happen because of people.
A huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who served so generously to make the day possible: the band and singers, meeting hosts, readers, production team, brew crew, welcome team, busking band, caterers, kids teams, tots teams, decorations teams, set-up and clear-up teams, car park team, and everyone involved in planning and preparing.
There are so many moving parts to an event like this, and while listing roles always risks missing someone, please know this: if you served in any way, your contribution mattered, and we are deeply grateful. Thank you for giving your time, energy, and hearts so freely.
Well done, church!
We are especially proud of how our church family stepped out boldly to invite others. So many friends, neighbours, colleagues, and family members joined us — and we were also honoured to welcome special guests including the Mayor of Woking, several local councillors, and representatives from organisations we are privileged to partner with.
This is what church looks like: open doors, open hearts, and a shared desire to help people encounter the hope of Jesus. I’m especially proud of the way our church stepped out en masse to invite so many people to join us this year. In addition to the many friends, neighbours, colleagues and family members who attended, our special guests also included the Mayor of Woking and several local councillors, along with other guests from some of the various organisations who we partner with.
In June and July, I preached a series at Welcome Church called “The Generous Life”. Together we explored how we can steward our finances with faith, grow in generosity, and reflect the generosity God has shown to us.
During that series, we shared that although our church has doubled in size over the last five years, our staff team had actually shrunk—a significant challenge for a growing church.
We asked you to step out in faith with your giving, and you did. The number of people giving regularly has grown by 27%, and for us that is a game changer.
Please remember: Welcome Church is a charity. Everything we do—both for those who are part of our church and for those who are not—is funded by your generosity. There’s nowhere better to invest your money than into God’s church!
A Huge “Thank You”
Some of you…
Increased your giving – thank you
Are new and jumped straight into giving – thank you
Moved from giving occasionally to giving regularly – thank you
Between April and October this year, our giving increased by 18% compared to the same period last year. Praise God for His provision, and thank you for standing with us in faith.
Because of your generosity, we are now able to move ahead with expanding our staff team, and are delighted to announce four new employed roles:
1. Operations Manager — 3 days per week
This key role supports the full range of our operational activities, with overall responsibility for the management and support of all food-related ministries—especially our Community Grocery and our kitchens.
Closing date: 4th January 2026
2. Finance Manager — 3 days per week
This role ensures the accurate, transparent, and compliant management of our finances. You’ll help our leadership steward our resources wisely, meet charity regulations, and provide clear reporting to the Senior Leadership Team and Trustees.
Closing date: 4th January 2026
3. Children’s Ministry Lead— 3 days per week
This role leads our Children’s Ministry across all age groups from birth to Year 6. We’re looking for someone who can shape excellent children’s ministry, build strong teams, create safe and welcoming environments, and help our children to encounter Jesus, grow in their faith, and feel at home in church. This is a role for a leader of leaders.
Closing date: 5th December 2026(Please note the earlier date)
Youth and Young Adults Pastor — Full Time
This role carries responsibility for the leadership and discipleship of our youth and our fast-growing 18–30s community. We’re looking for a strong, dynamic leader to help shape how we engage, pastor, and disciple the next generation. This will be a significant leadership role for our church.
Closing date: 4th January 2026
How do I apply?
Please click this link for full details on each role and how to apply. You’re also welcome to get in touch for an informal chat, or to come and visit the church if you’d like to find out more.
A Few Encouragements for Those in Welcome Church
There are four things I’d love us all to do:
1. Continue stepping out in faith in your giving Your generosity makes all of this possible.
2. Share these opportunities Spread the word to anyone you think would be a great fit, and share the roles on your social media.
3. If you apply, hold it lightly There may be many applicants but only one position for each role. If you’re not successful, please don’t allow that to affect how you feel about your church or cause you to withdraw.
4. Pray with us Ask God to bring the right people into each of these roles.
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Hi, I’m Dub Everitt, Outreach Pastor at Welcome Church, guest-writing Steve’s blog this week to share an exciting update on a project that’s very close to our hearts: the opening of the Woking Community Grocery — a social supermarket designed to serve and strengthen some of the most vulnerable families in our town.
This will be a place where hungry families find food, dignity, and hope. That’s the vision behind Welcome Church’s upcoming Community Grocery, and we believe it will genuinely change lives.
The Community Grocery – a Big Vision with a Big Impact
We are launching the Woking Community Grocery in partnership with The Message Trust, an incredible, passionate Christian organisation based in Manchester. Across the UK, they have already opened 33 Community Groceries, serving over 70,000 members with low-cost, reliable food and wrap-around support.
Our Grocery will be open to everyone in Woking — of all faiths and none. Membership will be just £5 per year, and families can choose a weekly shop costing between £5 and £12.50, saving up to £50 per week (that’s £2,500 a year!) on their shopping bills.
We forecast that 1,000 families from across Woking will use the Grocery in the first year alone. Every member will also be able to access our Welcome Works services—debt support, money coaching, mental health & wellbeing help, job clubs and more. It’s a powerful, dignifying “hand up, not handout” model that helps people take real steps forward in life.
Building Work Update
Following our purchase of Church Gate, the office block next door to our church, renovation work is now full steam ahead. The scaffolding is up, the roof is repaired, the rooms have been stripped back, and we’re on track for completion in March 2026.
After a meeting with our architect yesterday, I came away buzzing. The designs for the Grocery, the community spaces, and the upstairs rooms are looking amazing, and here are a couple of images to whet your appetite at this stage.
First an aerial view of the grocery lay out:
Second, a view of the Meet & Greet area:
The doorway shown is the new entrance we are adding to Church Gate, which will open onto our front area, linking it all our buildings as one campus. Please continue to pray for the renovation and planning work over the coming months!
And now for the date we’ve all been waiting for… (drumroll please!):
Our planned launch date is: Thursday 16th April 2026!
We’ll share more details closer to the time, but it’s going to be a huge celebration as we cut the ribbon and welcome our first customers.
And Now, Introducing Our Grocery Manager: Darren Green
On Sunday 16th November, we were thrilled to announce Darren Green as our new Community Grocery Manager — and the church’s response said it all.
The cheering, the applause, the warmth… it was a beautiful moment that showed how much this project means to our church family.
We also loved officially giving Darren his new double-barrelled surname:
Darren Green-Grocer (A prophetic sign? We think so!)
Darren will begin his role on 1st February 2026, giving plenty of time to prepare for the launch.
Over 250 People Saying, “Count Me In!”
Over two Sundays, we invited people to fill in a “Count me in!” card to get involved in all things Grocery and Welcome Works. We were hoping for 75 sign-ups… instead, we’ve seen over 250 people step forward!
We’re genuinely blown away! God is clearly stirring us as a church not only to give sacrificially – over £2 million so far – but also to give our time, skills, and hearts to serve our town. What a response. What a church. What a God.
Workshops for everyone who signed up will be held across five different days over the next few weeks to help each person find the right place to serve. If you signed up, we will be in touch with you about that soon.
Do You Want Us to “Count You In” Too?
I know many people at Welcome Church may still want to get involved but, for various reasons, haven’t yet filled out a “Count me in” card.
It’s not too late! Here’s how you can register your interest:
Fill in the digital “Count me in” card via this link: Count Me In
Or if you prefer you canE-mail Helen, our Grocery Project Manager
Through our powerful autumn preaching series, “True Religion,” we’ve been stirred by God’s heart for the poor — and by His call for His people to step into the gap with hope, compassion, and practical love. That’s exactly what the Community Grocery is all about.
What a calling! What a privilege! And what a joy to step into it together!
Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox
Christmas is just over a month away now, and bookings for our “Carol Service For Woking” opened last Sunday morning. The tickets (which are free!) are going very fast— even faster than last year—so please don’t leave it too long to book, or you may miss out on your first choice of when to attend.
Here’s a summary of our plans as a church over Christmas and New Year 2025/26:
Sundays 23rd & 30th November and 7th December: Our Christmas Preaching Series
Our Christmas Preaching Series starts this Sunday at our 9am and 11am meetings. I’ll be kicking the series off myself. I won’t be giving any spoilers here, but we’re going to have some fun together, so make sure you don’t miss what will be this year’s number-one series!
Sunday 14th December: A Carol Service For Woking
We’re holding four services across the day at 11am, 2pm, 4.30pm, and 7pm. Come and enjoy singing your favourite carols, followed by free mulled wine and mince pies.
Children up to school year 4 are invited to join our free Kids’ Christmas Parties, which will run alongside the 11am, 2pm, and 4.30pm services.
Booking is essential for all adults’ and children’s tickets, and be warned that we are likely to besold out again this year. Don’t delay— – Click here to book
Remember: this is a great opportunity to invite your friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues—there is no easier invitation to church than to our Carol Services.
Sunday 21st December: An All Age Christmas Celebration
We’ll be meeting at 9am and 11am for an all-age celebration of Christmas. Instead of our usual Welcome Kids and Welcome Youth groups, we’ll all be meeting together for a whole lot of noisy fun and games as we celebrate Christmas as a church family and worship Jesus together.
Each meeting will be roughly one hour long, and we’ll start and finish with refreshments as usual.
Thursday 25th December: Christmas Day Online
This year, to make sure there’s room for everyone who wants to attend, we’ll be taking Christmas Day online.(Don’t forget, the 21st December is our in person all age celebration)
Join us on Christmas Day at 10am, at WelcomeChurch.Online, for a short time together with Christmas carols and an accessible Christmas message. It will be a great way to mark Jesus’ birthday together as a church, and we’ll all be able to join in and connect via the online chat feature.
Sunday 28th December: No Meeting!
There is no meeting planned for Sunday 28th December, but instead…
Wednesday 31st December: Crossover ’26
After an amazing Crossover Night from 2024 into 2025, we are coming together again on 31st December to celebrate all that God has done and all He’s going to do in 2026.
Join us as we celebrate God’s faithfulness over the last year and ask for God’s favour as we Crossover into 2026! Together we will praise, pray, and party! It’s a lot of fun—so don’t miss it.
We’ll be joined by a brilliant guest speaker this year, Pastor Chris Kimbangi from Hope Church, Guildford. (I knew him back when he was just a student in Chichester…)
This event is likely to fill up fast, so please book your FREE ticket to reserve your place, and let’s welcome in the New Year in faith and in style! Click here to book
Anything Else?
A few other things you may want to be aware of:
The church offices will be closed from Wednesday 24th December through to Thursday 1st January
Welcome Youth have their final meeting before Christmas on Friday 12th December, returning on Friday 16th January
Our Welcome Tots groups finish on Wednesday 10th and Friday 12th December, returning on 7th and 9th January respectively
Welcome Café will open for the last time this year on Monday 15th December, returning on Monday 5th January
Our Sunday meetings will return to their usual pattern from Sunday 4th January, and we have a great new series lined up for the New Year too
21 Days of Prayer kicks off on Monday 5th January—more details will follow in a separate blog nearer the time
Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox
Here’s a brief update about our progress with the redevelopment of Church Gate.
The work has now begun, and we’re looking forward to seeing the Community Grocery take shape on the ground floor, alongside space for our Welcome Kids and Welcome Youth on the upper floors.
Progress report
At 9am on Monday, 8th September, we handed over the keys to Church Gate to O&D (the contractor undertaking the work, who also built The Chapel for us), and the refurbishment officially began. The building is now a construction site, and no one should attempt to enter it!
The first week was mainly taken up with site preparation, the most visible sign being the fencing that appeared around the site. We did have a memorable moment when someone (not from our church!) moved the fencing overnight to park their car… the builders were less than impressed! That won’t be happening again now that the fencing is fully secured.
Here’s a rough outline of the works timeline for the first few weeks:
w/c 8th September: Set up the site; secure the site with fencing and signage; decommission and make safe the existing external ‘condenser’ units (part of the old heating system)
w/c 15th September: Erect timber hoardings and gates at the front of the site; commence scaffolding works – you can see from the pic that this has now been done
w/c 22nd September: Complete scaffolding works up to roof level
w/c 29th September: Begin roofing works
w/c 13th October: Start internal strip out
w/c 28th November: Scaffolding comes down
Further updates will follow as we have them, but for now the planned completion date is Monday, 23rd February. This is, of course, subject to the usual range of potential complexities and delays—so watch this space for more news in the weeks ahead.
Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox
Here are a few Welcome Church updates for September:
The work on Church Gate has begun!
It’s taken a little longer than we hoped to get started (due to a range of circumstances, mostly beyond our control), but the builders are now here and the redevelopment of Church Gate is underway!
Yesterday and today we’ve seen fences go up around the site, and I’ve heard plenty of crashing and banging, so something is definitely happening. We expect the work to be finished around February.
A couple of key things to remember:
Church Gate is now a building site. No one should enter the building without both a hard hat and permission from the developers.
No parking at the front of Church Gate. Access is needed by the builders at all times, and cars may be towed if they’re in the way.
Church Life Is Back in Full Swing
Life Groups are meeting again, Welcome Youth is restarting, and on Sunday evening we’ll gather for our first Prayer Meeting of the semester. Alpha will be starting soon, and both Welcome Café and Welcome Tots are back too.
Last Sunday, Terry Virgo joined us as a guest speaker. If you missed it, you can listen to his excellent talk (please click here for the video; a podcast is available too)
Our Sunday morning attendance has grown compared to last September as well, and if you find the 11am service a little too full, there’s usually more space at 9am.
A New Preaching Series
This Sunday we begin our new preaching series: “True Religion.” Together we’ll explore God’s call to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” (Micah 6:8).
The title is inspired by James 1:27:
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
I’m looking forward to Chris kicking the series off this Sunday. I’ll be speaking in week two, and along the way we’ll also hear from a variety of voices, including two excellent guest speakers:
Andy Hawthorne (The Message Trust) – 28th September
Howard Satterthwaite (Open Doors) – 2nd November
It’s shaping up to be an excellent series – don’t miss it!
Staff Team
The Church Office team is back in full swing this week, and we’re delighted to welcome Stephen Dawson, who has now started his role with us as Associate Pastor. He’s been a delight to have so far, and is already making a huge difference in what we can do together as a church.
Do look out for Stephen and Emma on Sundays, and please make them feel welcome!
Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox
A while ago we began the search for a new ‘Pastoral Care Lead’ for Welcome Church, and I’m delighted to announce that we’ve filled the position… and then some!
We had a lot of interest, but in the end one person stood out from the others: Stephen Dawson.
Stephen has spent the last 17 years on staff at Emmanuel Church Brighton, who are part of our wider Newfrontiers family of churches. In his time at Emmanuel Church he’s led youth and kids work, planted and led different sites (they are a multi-site church), and has been part of their church eldership team. He also led the whole church for a season during a leadership transition.
Stephen is passionate about pastoral care, building authentic community, and equipping people to grow in their faith and calling. Until recently, he was part of the Newday Festival team, leading the 12-14’s age group for several years. Apparently he’s also a fan of motorcycles, honest conversation, and a good plate of chicken wings.
Emma is also going to be a huge blessing to our church – she has so many gifts of her own to contribute and I know we’ll be delighted to have her here. Among other things, Emma loves creating a home where people feel truly welcome and supported. She’s supported many mums through early parenting, and has been running groups, writing, and blogging at One Pink Toothbrush. She also helps run a family landscaping business, and is known for her colourful shoes, bold earrings, and generous heart.
Stephen and Emma have both lived in Brighton for 25 years. They got married 22 years ago and have six children: one got married last year, another is getting married soon, and a third is about to embark on a year elsewhere, so only three of the six children will be coming with them to Woking initially.
Stephen and Emma are a genuinely lovely couple, and I know they’ll bring us a lot of warmth and faith. They carry a deep love for people and have chosen to live missionally, in a council estate community in Brighton, impacting many lives there and elsewhere. They’re now very excited to be part of what God is doing here at Welcome Church as we move into the future.
What’s next?
Stephen and Emma, plus three kids, will be joining us for the Welcome Church Big Weekend Away at the end of August (do book in if you haven’t already). Stephen’s also going to be preaching for us on Sunday 27th July as part of our Romans series – don’t miss it!
Stephen will join our staff team from the start of September. He comes with a lot of skill and experience suited to a large, growing church, and his role here will be a lot more than just pastoral care. He’ll be leading the Pastoral Care Team, but he’ll also be picking up Life Groups, mid-week church life, and almost certainly the oversight of Welcome Kids and Welcome Youth at the right moment too – and maybe a whole lot more. We’ve decided on the job title of ‘Associate Pastor’ – for now – we may change that at some point down the line.
In the meantime they have a house for sale in Brighton and are looking to buy one here in Woking. Please pray this all moves forward quickly, and also that the relocation goes smoothly, and they find all the school places they need for September. And please pray for the whole family at this time of huge change and transition for them all.
Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox
Last Sunday, we looked together at the rich and deeply challenging words of Romans 8 (if you missed it you can click here to watch or listen). My focus was on suffering, and the amazing hope we have as children of God, but as I studied the passage I was struck again by something else woven through Paul’s words: creation itself is caught up in this great drama of redemption.
Paul writes that “creation was subjected to frustration…in hope that it will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20–21).
Creation is groaning. Waiting. Longing. Just like us.
Romans 8 includes a powerful reminder that the gospel is not only about our personal salvation; God’s plan is to redeem all things. He made the world and called it very good (Genesis 1:31). Psalm 104 is a beautiful song of praise that lingers over the wonder and detail of God’s handiwork in nature. And yet, because of human sin, creation too has been broken, frustrated, and subjected to decay.
We see this brokenness all around us – in news of droughts, floods, pollution, species loss, or even just in the exhaustion of land and sea. And sadly, the people who suffer most from environmental damage are often the poorest and most vulnerable.
This isn’t just a political or scientific issue; it’s a gospel one. This is about loving what God loves, caring for our neighbour, and longing for the full redemption of all things.
This is really a worship issue.
So what can we do as a church?
One simple step is to pray! Here are a few ideas you could use personally or in your Life Group:
Praise God for His amazing creation – maybe take a moment to read Psalm 104 and thank Him
Pray for those most vulnerable to environmental damage, especially in parts of the world where many in our church family have their roots
Pray for governments and leaders making key decisions about the environment – for wisdom, courage, and justice. This includes policies here in the UK, as well as global agreements like the UN Biodiversity Convention (supported by The World Evangelical Alliance and also by Tearfund)
Thank God that one day, creation itself will be set free and made new; it means that we live in hope of the future restoration and renewal of all things
An Eco Church
As a church, we’re taking some small but deliberate steps to live this out too. Thanks to the hard work of Helen and others, we’ve already received a Bronze Eco Church Award—and we’re now well on the way towards Silver. If you’d like to be part of this or just want to learn bit more, please do get in touch with Helen directly.
Romans 8 reminds us that creation groans, but it also reminds us that this groaning is not the end of the story. One day, the whole world will be renewed. It will be liberated into the glory of God’s coming kingdom. Until then, we wait, we pray, and we care – for creation, for one another, and for the world around us.
Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox
At the beginning of May, children from School Years 4, 5 and 6 gathered at Walton Firs for our annual Welcome Kids Weekend Away.
Harriet wrote an encouraging update for us:
“The weekend away is always a wonderful occasion, where children spend time getting to know each other, getting to know the leaders and, most importantly, getting to know God. All the children left on Sunday very tired, but excited to share with their families the wonderful time they’d had.
“This year our learning focused on Psalm 23, and the characteristics of God. Inspired by these words, the children were encouraged to write their own Psalms which not only moved the leaders but also encouraged other children. Many of these Psalms were shared during our worship time which was truly wonderful.
“As well as our meetings, we also had a time each morning where we would gather as a group and delve into God’s Word. Our ‘Start the Day with Jesus’ session is one way we try to encourage our children to learn about spending time with God, equipping them for their own walk with Jesus.
Activities
“At Walton Firs, we are incredibly lucky to have a wide range of activities that the children can take part in. This year, we saw them climbing high ropes, stacking crates, completing obstacle courses (blindfolded!) and for the first time ever competing against each other to build structures that can withstand the weight of their team. On our first evening, we had a campfire, sang songs and toasted marshmallows. On our second evening the children danced the night away at our silent disco.
“As always, the children behaved brilliantly, and fully immersed themselves in all the different activities on offer. One of the best things for me was seeing them fully engaging in worship and coming up to share their own prayers.
It Takes a Team
“The Kids Weekend Away wouldn’t happen without an amazing team of servers who volunteer their time and encourage the children in developing friendships, sleeping away from home, pushing themselves in activities, and worshipping God & reading His Word. As a church we’re blessed to have such a wonderful group of servers who give up their time for this annual weekend. (And by the way, if you’d like to get involved in serving Welcome Kids, do let us know!)
“Finally, a huge thank you to all the parents and carers who brought delicious cakes for us to share across the weekend—these are definitely a highlight, not just for the children but for the leaders as well!“
A Big Thank You
On behalf of the whole Welcome Church team I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who put in their time and effort to make the event happen. What a blessing to have this event available for our kids.
I’ve added some photos of the event to give you a feel for what went on:
Save the date
Our Kids Weekend Away happens every year, so if your child will be in School Years 4, 5 or 6 in September 2025, make sure you save the date. Next year’s dates are: 22nd–24th May 2026. Booking details will be available nearer the time.
Feel Like You Missed Out?
If you feel like you missed out, or just wish you were young enough (or old enough) to go yourself, don’t forget that our Welcome Church Big Weekend Away takes place in August this year, at Braggers Wood in the New Forest, and that’s an event for all ages. All the details you need for booking can be found by clicking here. We still have a few places left, but don’t leave it too late to book!
Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox
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