We are in the Reformed tradition of mainstream Christian denominations and our worship and general ethos is best described as liberal and not too formal. Both in our worship and daily living we seek to explore the texts of scripture to understand what they are saying to our ever evolving contemporary context. We welcome opportunities to engage with and build good relationships with other churches
and those of all faiths and none. Our Sunday service is at 11.00am and everyone, whoever you are and wherever you are from, is assured of a warm welcome - no exceptions. The United Reformed Church website - https://urc.org.uk - says:
We are a family of Christians, worshipping in the name of Jesus in about 1500 local churches in England, Wales and Scotland.'Reformed' means that we delight in the Bible, we do not fear change, and we try to run our churches in ways that take everyone's insight and contribution seriously.
'United' is an important part of our story. We started when English Presbyterians merged with English and Welsh Congregationalists in 1972. Churches of Christ joined in 1981 and Scottish Congregationalists in 2000. We still work as closely as we can with Christians of all traditions and styles. We aim to grow through supporting one another and taking decisions together. Church of Scotland folk unable to get to either of the two churches in London may like to know that we’re in the same tradition. St Paul’s is part of the Thames North Synod of the United Reformed Church. Mission Statement
To evidence that God is present and active in the world with vision, integrity and creativity. To worship God and serve our neighbours near and far
To follow the teachings of Jesus to love God, love our neighbours as ourselves and enable ‘abundance of life for all’ wherever and whenever possible in partnership with people of all faiths and none. To build each other up for work and prayer
To provide a home for, and facilitate, mission activities which may be driven by others
Minister
Sally Thomas. I was inducted as minister with St Paul’s and also Kensington United Reformed Church at the end of February 2020. Lockdown happened soon afterwards and this continues to limit my engagement with the community. A priority for the church in seeking a new minister was to develop links with the wider community. With a background in community development plus ecumenical and interfaith engagement this was music to my ears but we are where we are. I’ve been able to link up with a few local people not connected with the church and look forward to working with St Paul’s to fulfil our potential when we emerge from Covid restrictions. The Bayswater Neighbours in the next section will be very much part of this. I was ordained in 1993 and my previous ministries have been in Lancashire, Manchester then back to my homeland of Wales. Bayswater Neighbours
Community engagement is a priority for us so it has been disappointing that Covid restrictions are currently preventing us from getting to know folk and making our building available for community use. The good news is that before lockdown restrictions put plans on hold, we linked up with local Councillor Maggie Carmen and others representing local organisations to develop a community network of people interested in meeting up for a varied menu of groups and activities suited to a diversity of needs and interests. The aspiration is to consult with our community and then roll out a variety of initiatives using a number of venues including St Paul’s. Our building is ideal for this because it is fully accessible and has a large hall plus a meeting room. While this has to be a ‘watch this space’ item for now we look forward to working with partners to create something of benefit to all. Location
We feel blessed that we are in a diverse and vibrant part of the city with all the challenges and opportunities that entails. The area around the church is lively and has been described as one of London’s most cosmopolitan areas, with a diverse population and a high concentration of hotels. The downside for us is that Newton Road is a side street and we are not permitted to have a sign on Westbourne Grove directing people to us.
Context
The most recent ward profile shows that 56% of residents in Bayswater were born outside the UK, mainly in the EU, but 6% are from the Commonwealth. 74% of residents are of working age. 16% are under 16 and also 16% are over 65 with 19% of them receiving pension credits. In 2018. Property prices are high and 43% rent privately with 20% in social housing. Most people are highly qualified and more than half live alone. by contrast, the neighbouring ward of Westbourne, from which more of the congregation is drawn, has much higher levels of deprivation. Twice as many people are out of work and average income is around 70% less. Average property prices are half Bayswater values and 49% of people live in social housing. 30% are households with children, and 20% of households are overcrowded. The last census shows that 52% identify as Christian and 27.5% as no faith. There are a significant number of Muslims plus members of all other major faiths, We rejoice to be part of such a diverse and varied community and aspire to play as full a part as possible.
