Welcome Magazine
Our digital welcome magazine has been created to give you an introduction to life at St Paul’s.
Welcome!
Whether you’re a cradle Christian or really have no idea what has brought you through the doors today, we’re so pleased you’re here. The following page is designed to help you get to know us a little, what we believe, who we are, where we’re going, before you decide if we’re the kind of church you’d want to be part of. We’d love the chance to get to know you too.
St Paul’s is an Anglican church, full of ordinary people – office-workers, doctors, drivers, teachers, unemployed and retired people. Some of us are single, others married or divorced, some are single parents or have been widowed. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, there is a place for you here.
You’ll hear about our vision. It’s a big vision, because we believe in a God who can do more than we can ask or imagine. We’re starting to see it happen. We’d love you to be part of helping that vision come to fruition, there is space for everyone to be involved. We are a family who share in the love of Jesus, and long for others to know that love in their own lives.
You’ll also read about our values: these are the measures which guide our decision making and shape our thinking, the standards which we hold ourselves to as we seek to become more like Jesus.
If you join us on a Sunday, I hope and pray that you will be received with a warm welcome. I hope that you’ll be given the opportunity to explore faith, or deepen your faith journey through one of our many groups or courses. I hope that you’ll be blessed by getting to know a family of imperfect followers of Jesus doing the best they can, getting it wrong, and loving one another through it anyway.
If you decide to go a step further and join us, please know that there is a place for you. However much or little you feel you are bringing, we value you. We value that you are willing to spend your time here, we value your gifts and skills no matter what they are. Come and get involved, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in, or if you’re in a season where you just need to receive, do that. Wherever you’re at, there is a place for you. Welcome to St Paul’s.
Lives transformed by the light and love of Jesus
St Paul’s Vision
This is the heartbeat of all we do. It is what drives us, and what we believe is possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a big vision, huge, but we believe in a God who is even greater, and we trust that we are and will continue to see this transformation in our church family and throughout our town. This magazine contains stories of God transforming lives. Some who have walked with Jesus their entire lives, others who have radically come to faith after many years of searching. If you have not yet experienced the life transforming love of God, let's chat… we’d love to support you in that journey of discovering the greatest gift any of us can ever receive: a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Values
Focus
Focusing on Jesus
rooted in prayer, worship, and Scripture.
Serve
Serving each other
as a committed family and the wider community
Grow
Seeking growth
into faith and to become mature disciples.
Love
Valuing everyone
as made in God’s image.
What happens on Sundays?
If you’re new to St Paul’s—or new to church altogether—Sundays can feel a bit daunting. What actually happens? Do you need to know special words? Is there a right way to join in? The short answer: you’re welcome exactly as you are, and there’s a place for you here. To help you picture a typical Sunday, here’s a glimpse of our three very different services.
Our day begins with the 8.30am service, a peaceful and reflective start to Sunday. It’s a simple communion service with readings, prayers and a short sermon. There’s plenty of space, plenty of calm, and no pressure to do anything other than sit, listen, and take a breath. It lasts about 40 minutes, making it a gentle way to begin the day—especially if you appreciate quiet or prefer a smaller gathering.
At 10.00am, things get livelier. This is our service for all generations, and when we say “family” we really do mean everyone—young, old, single, married, divorced, and anyone who would like to be there, but worries they shouldn’t be. The music is upbeat and contemporary, with the occasional much‑loved hymn woven in. Most weeks we share communion, and everything you need—words, songs, responses—appears on the screen. If you’ve never been to church before, don’t worry. You can simply follow along, or just watch. During the service, children and young people (ages 0–18) head to their own groups for age‑specific teaching and activities. The sermon is Bible‑based and rooted in everyday life, often part of a themed series. Afterwards, we serve good coffee, sweet treats, and conversation. You’re warmly invited to linger, but if you need to dash off, we promise we don’t lock the doors.
We finish the day with SIX:30, our most informal and contemporary service. Doors open at 6pm for drinks and a chance to chat before we begin. The service itself lasts about an hour and 15 minutes and includes modern worship music and a relevant, thought‑provoking sermon (the same as the 10.00am). It’s a great space if you’re exploring faith, returning to church after time away, or simply looking for somewhere relaxed to be yourself.
And if you’re not quite ready to come in person, both our 10.00am and SIX:30 services are livestreamed on our St Paul’s YouTube channel. Watching online can be a helpful way to get a feel for things before you step through the door.
Whether you’re an early riser, a mid‑morning regular, or an evening thinker, there’s a Sunday service that fits. More importantly, there’s a church family, made up of real, imperfect people, ready to welcome you.
More than Sunday
Sundays are celebration: Monday to Saturday is church.
We love gathering on a Sunday morning to celebrate and worship together. But the Christian faith is more than Sundays! Monday to Saturday our church is in front rooms, pubs, coffee shops, and workplaces. There are plenty of opportunities for us to gather and do life, go deeper, and have fun.
Take our Home Groups. These are small groups that meet regularly to read the Bible together, pray, and support one another. They're where a lot of the real business of being a Christian actually takes place — not the dramatic stuff, but the steady work of being known, and of turning up for people when it matters. If you're looking for that kind of company, a Home Group is worth trying.
Then there are our Connect Groups, which run for a term at a time and are built around whatever people happen to be interested in. Some are quite deliberately about faith — working through a book, or wrestling with a tricky theological question over drink and some chips. Others are simply about doing something enjoyable together: walking, wild swimming, board games, that sort of thing. The list changes each term, largely because people suggest things. So if you've got an idea for a group — something you're keen on and suspect a few others might be too — do let me know!
Every year we go away as a family for a week to the New Wine summer festival, where Christians and people exploring faith come together to worship, learn, and be family.
We also go away together on a 24 hour retreat: a chance to step back from the ordinary business of life and give some proper attention to God, and to each other. We’re quite a lively church, but our retreat is a chance to be still, and breathe.
Alongside all this are smaller groups that exist for particular seasons of life — our men’s and women’s ministries, our group for widows — offering the kind of company and understanding that's hard to find anywhere else.
None of it is a substitute for Sunday. But it's the sort of thing that turns a congregation that merely meets into one that actually knows each other. It turns Christians into disciples.
We’d love you to join us on more than Sundays.
What is the Alpha Course?
At the age of 24 I hit rock bottom, and was invited on an Alpha Course. I didn’t want to go, but I had tried everything else… I’d done the health kick, I’d done other religions, I’d done the “young professional” persona… nothing worked. So, I thought, fine, I’ll try this. I went angry, really angry. I believed God existed on the basis of a few childhood experiences in church, but I didn’t like who I thought He was. I didn’t understand why my life had gone so wrong. I was a good (ish!) person!
I arrived at church, and I walked up and down the driveway, which was a long driveway, three whole times before I went in. I was anticipating a group of very elderly people, a cold and dusty hall and to be told why I was wrong… nothing could have been further from the truth. I was met, with love. My group was full of people like me, young, professional, full of questions. I was given a hot meal, presented with an interesting talk, and critically, the space to process my thoughts without criticism or judgement. I made a friend. She was kind and made space for me to share all that I was struggling with.
As the weeks rolled by and I heard the teaching and was met again and again with a grace I hadn’t encountered before, turns out I had got God wrong… when my barriers had come down enough to allow someone to pray with me, I met with Jesus who loved me to the point of dying for me even though I was a horrible person, I’d done awful things. But in that moment, I was met with waves of love that I had never encountered before.
From that day, everything changed. It’s not that life got easier, if anything actually the next three years were incredibly hard as I walked away from the drugs and alcohol I had previous leaned on for comfort. But there was hope, a hope which has never left me, and I’m clocking on more than 20 years of following Jesus now.
Alpha is a space where you won’t be judged. No question is too much, too obvious or embarrassing. For those who are curious but haven’t ever been to church, to those who have been in church for some time but haven’t quite got “the faith thing”, all are welcome. You are so welcome on our next course, sign up below.
Testimonies
Because somebody prayed, I am here today, with faith, with hope, and with a light I didn't believe existed.
When I look back over the past few years, I can see that my journey to faith started long before I even noticed. It started with an unlikely friendship. One person, scarred too many times by life itself, hiding behind handmade armour I thought was impenetrable. The other, faith rooted right to her core.
Who would have known that this woman, with her beautiful smile, would be the one to strip away those lifetime self-built walls?
She prayed for a stranger she didn't know. She prayed for someone who was lost. She prayed for someone whose name she didn't even know. One day she told me she'd been praying for me. To her, I was simply the man with his dog. Without either of us knowing it, God was using her to help me find my way.
I followed her to St Paul's Church, where I was welcomed into a family without having to give anything first. I wasn't expected to have all the answers or pretend to be someone I wasn't. Through the people at St Paul's, God showed me grace, patience and love, and slowly began to break down the armour I'd spent years building around myself.
The thing is, she never saw it. She never saw me come to faith. She never knew that one day I would call St Paul's my church. But that doesn't mean her prayers weren't answered.
If there's one thing my story has taught me, it's this: never underestimate the power of prayer. We often pray for our families, our friends, and the people we know and love. But what about the stranger we pass every day? The person who seems lost. The neighbour we never speak to. The person who quietly carries burdens no one else can see.
If you're praying for someone today, don't stop. You may never know what God is doing, and you may never see the answer to your prayers.
The lady who prayed for me never lived to see the answer to hers.
But God did.
So don't stop praying for those whose names you don't even know. God already knows their names.
Jack
When I was around five or six years old, I first came to St Paul’s through Messy Church. At the time, I wasn’t brought up in a Christian family, so although I enjoyed coming along, I didn’t really understand what faith meant or have much of a relationship with God.
After COVID, I came back to St Paul’s and started attending the youth group. That’s where things really began to change for me. Through the teaching and the people around me with their own journeys, I started to learn more about who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. As I kept attending, having a relationship with God wasn't something I just heard about; it was something that was growing in me and becoming personal.
One of the biggest things that helped me was joining our youth home group – The Lounge. It gives me a place where I can ask questions, learn from others, and build valuable friendships with people who are on the same journey. It helped me realise that being a Christian isn’t just about going to church on a Sunday but about having a relationship with God every day for the rest of my life.
As I became more involved in the church community, I found opportunities to serve, particularly through worship and helping with the Audio and Visuals team. Serving alongside others has become a really important part of my faith, allowing me to use the gifts God has given me to help create an environment where people can encounter Him, like I have done in worship at St Paul’s or at our church family holiday to New Wine each year.
My journey hasn’t been perfect. Like everyone, I’ve had challenges and times when I’ve struggled. But through those moments, I’ve seen God’s faithfulness and been reminded of his presence. He has continued to guide me, teach me, and move me to places with people who encourage me to keep following Him.
I’m so thankful for how St Paul’s has been part of my journey, from when I was young at Messy Church to returning as a teenager and building a real relationship with God. Finding a church family that has helped me grow in my faith has had a real impact on my journey, and I wouldn't be this far without some of them.
Tom
What about children and youth?
Emma is our wonderful childrens, families and youth leader (it’s a big title for an even bigger job!) We love to create space for children and young people to connect with God through worship, prayer and bible stories.
On prayer
We are a church, rooted in prayer and worship. If you were to strip away everything else from St Paul's — the buildings, the programmes, the noticeboards — what you'd find underneath is prayer. It's not an add-on to what we do. It's closer to the foundation the rest of it sits on. If you come to this church, please know that we’re praying for you!
You'll notice this most obviously on a Sunday. Whichever of our three services you come to — the quiet, contemplative 8.30, the fuller 10am with its groups for children, or the more informal SIX:30 in the evening — prayer runs right through it. We don't simply pray at the start and finish and call it done. We pray for the world, for those who are struggling, for one another, and we give space for people to bring their own needs before God as well.
Beyond Sundays, once a fortnight, a group of us meets for Call to Prayer — a straightforward gathering with no other agenda than to pray. There's nothing clever about it. We simply believe that prayer matters enough to set time aside for it deliberately, rather than hoping it happens in the gaps.
The truth underneath all of this is fairly plain: we pray because we need God. Not as a form of words, but as a matter of fact. Whatever else St Paul's might offer — good teaching, decent coffee, groups to belong to — none of it amounts to much without God at the centre of it, and prayer is simply how we keep coming back to him.
And we've seen him answer. Not in every case, and not always in the way or on the timescale we'd have chosen — prayer isn't a vending machine — but we believe in raw and real engagement with God. We have stories, some of them quite remarkable, of people prayed for and healed, of situations that looked hopeless turning around, of lives quietly and not-so-quietly transformed. We don't make a great show of these things, but they're real, and they keep us praying.
If you'd like someone to pray with you or for you, our Prayer Ministry Team would be glad to. You don't need the right words, or a tidy faith, or any faith at all — just a willingness to ask. You can get in touch through the website, or simply have a word after a service.
What if church could simply be somewhere you come as you are?
That’s the idea behind the Community Café at St Paul’s.
On the first Saturday of each month, our church building becomes a welcoming space for anyone from the local community. From 10.30am–12 noon, you can drop in for free tea, coffee, cake and other refreshments, meet people, pick up pre-loved kids clothes and toys, and simply enjoy being part of the community. There’s no charge, no booking and no expectation that you’re a churchgoer.
We have a great range of toys and children’s clothes available, and from time to time there are practical activities and support on offer. The café has become a place where people can find a friendly face, have a chat and discover that they’re not alone.
At St Paul’s, we believe that following Jesus means more than what happens inside a church service. It means seeking to love our neighbours in practical, tangible ways. The Community Café is one small expression of that: creating a space where people can belong, connect and be cared for.
You don’t need to believe anything in particular. You don’t need to know anyone. You can come with children, come on your own, stay for five minutes or settle in for the whole morning.
And if you’re new to St Paul’s, it’s a great way to meet some of the people who make up our church family in a different setting to a Sunday morning!
Community Café runs from 10.30am–12 noon on the first Saturday of each month (except January and August) at St Paul’s Church, Pixmore Way. Everything is free – just come along.
We’d love to see you there.
What’s a PCC, and why does it matter?
Every Church of England parish has a PCC—short for Parochial Church Council—but don’t let the formal name fool you. At St Paul’s, our PCC is simply a group of people who care about the life, direction, and wellbeing of our church community. Think of it as the team that helps us stay healthy, hopeful, and heading in the right direction. We see it as our job to listen to God for His will for our community.
The PCC works with our clergy to make decisions about things that shape our shared life: how we use our buildings, how we steward our finances, how we support our ministries, and how we keep everyone safe. They’re the people who ask good questions, pray, plan, and make sure we’re using our resources wisely so that St Paul’s can keep being a place of welcome, worship, and growth.
You don’t need special qualifications to serve—just a love for Jesus and St Paul’s (in that order), a willingness to listen, and a desire to help our church flourish. It’s a great way to get involved and play a part in shaping our future.
In short: the PCC helps St Paul’s continue to pursue our vision to see Lives Transformed by the Life and Love of Jesus. And we’re always grateful for those who step up to be part of it.
Did you know we have a church office?
We do, and we also have an administrator – one that has been here longer than any of the clergy. Hi, I’m Vicky and as I write this intro, I am coming up to 19 years of doing this job. A job I took on to get the church through the interregnum that would happen in 2008 when Rev Anne Lovegrove retired. At that point I was a 30 something Mum with 2 young children, looking for something part time that would give me more time at home. I have seen many vicars and curates come and go and more church wardens than I can remember (especially as I also look after All Saints and St Mary’s). I have also had the privilege of meeting many of you and have gained some amazing friends.
You might ask why you don’t see me at services, that is because I worship at St George’s (and have done my entire life), where I am part of the leadership team, and head up family and children’s work. I am married to Colin for 29 years and have two beautiful children. Both of whom have been blessed enough to grow up dual churched, 2018 being a particular highlight when I was there as Ella was confirmed here at St Paul’s, and Tom a few weeks later at St George’s.
What do I love about my job? No two days are ever the same, one minute I can be helping a bereaved family, the next taking a party booking, the next arranging the practicalities of a wedding. I love the variety and the fact that I get to be with people through some of their major life events, whether they are full of happiness or grief I can hopefully make a difference. I have seen many changes in 19 years and definitely know more about churchyard regulations and the 2021 Marriage Law changes than I should, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
If there’s anything you’d like to ask, I am always happy to point people in the right direction. I am in the office (on the side of the hall) 9.15-1.15 Monday to Friday. You can leave me a message on 01462 637373 or you can email me at hello@stpaulsletchworth.co.uk
Find Us
We have a car park in front of the church building. The entrance to the carpark is on Baldock Road and there is a one way system so you will exit onto Pixmore Road.
If the carpark is full and you are parking in the streets nearby please be considerate to our neighbours. We love our neighbours and we ask you do too.
There are disabled parking bays available. If you have limited mobility and need assistance or have any other concerns about parking get in touch with us before your visit.
What’s Next?
We’re so glad you’re here, we’d love to get to know you a little better!