The 21st Century
With the redevelopment of the old Railway Engineering Yards into the new Stratford City, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the Olympic Games, the area has taken on a new life and vitality. The area has always been a, largely happy, melting pot of cultures and races and an influx of refugees and immigrants from Eastern Europe has recently, once again, brought new culture and new ideas. Things are looking up
At St John's congregations have increased even more. The average attendance was around 340 adults and children on a Sunday morning, and 70 in the evening, with up to 600 people for special services and we saw our congregation increasing every year. However, since the pandemic, as with many other churches, our numbers have significantly decreased. But we are now slowly growing back in number.
We are pleased that our congregation is very multi-cultural, reflecting the community around us. The Church building is also open every day of the week with morning and evening prayer, lunchtime and midweek services for people who live and work in Stratford. The nature of ministry at St John's has changed greatly over the past few years. The building is a hive of activity - a place for prayer, for meetings, for concerts, and also a place for peace and quiet in a busy town centre.
In 1834 St John's was built to serve the Stratford community. Nearly 190 years later and that community has changed again and again. St John's has changed too - the building has been extended twice, and the pattern of services has also changed. However, the basic reason for St John's existence has not changed. St John's is a part of the local community and also part of worldwide Christian Church, dedicated to spreading the good news that Jesus Christ came to earth over 2000 years ago, that he died for our sins on the cross, that he rose again from death to life and that he lives for ever and still has the power to change lives.
St John's is a living witness to that message.
