FAMILY NEWS
We love to know what’s happening in our church family so if you have some news to share, you can let us know by filling out the form below! One of our pastors may get in touch in response plus we occasionally share family news in our services so if there’s anything that needs to remain confidential, please let us know below. Scroll down for the latest updates and head here if you’re looking for information on the Mike Pilavachi safeguarding investigation.
14th December 2023
Rev Jon Stevens new Lead Pastor for Soul Survivor Watford
Today we have shared the following news with the church.
The Trustees are delighted to announce that, following a formal process, we have asked Rev Jon Stevens to become our new Lead Pastor at Soul Survivor Watford on a permanent basis and he has accepted. The process concluded with an interview with the Trustees, including the new independent Trustees (who are not part of our congregation). The Rev Canon Tim Lomax (Director of Mission and Ministry) and Jane Mainwaring, Bishop of Hertford were also part of this process
Jon has been our Executive Pastor since 2015. This year he took on interim leadership of the church and has demonstrated that he has the skills, vision, commitment and passion to lead the congregation in this next chapter. He has already enabled many positive changes and has shown his humility and desire to follow God’s lead, alongside his clear pastoral and leadership gifts.
Following the interview, Bishop Jane said, “I have been impressed by Jon’s astute understanding of the challenges that the church faces as well as its strengths. I am fully confident of his ability to continue to lead the change that needs to happen.”
Jon said, “I’m looking forward to leading and serving alongside our wonderful staff team as we continue to process the challenges of this year; as a church we look to the future with hope. We want to continue with our vision to love and worship God, love and care for one another, and to reach out to the community and world God calls us to serve.”
The Trustees are very aware that it is important to bring in a new Associate Pastor to support Jon and the team. We intend to advertise the role in the New Year, seeking to recruit somebody from outside of our church so as to bring in fresh perspectives and strengths that will enable us in our growth.
Jon will be Lead Pastor with immediate effect, but Bishop Jane will formally license him at a special celebration at our 6.30pm service on Sunday 28th January. All are welcome to join us in-person, and we will also livestream it on our YouTube channel.
For now, please join with us in praying for Jon as he takes up this role and for our whole church family as we continue forward.
1st September
‘A Cinderalla Story’ - the panto is BACK!
The legendary Soul Survivor Watford Panto is back and YOU can be part of it! Auditions will be on Sunday 10th September from 1.30-3pm and 4.30-6pm in Warehouse 7. There are speaking, non-speaking, and singing roles available so pop along to chat to Busy about what you’re interested in. For speaking roles you’ll run through a short piece of script together and if you’d like a singing part, please be ready to sing a verse and chorus of the song of your choice. The play is called A Cinderella Story and is a fairy-tale with a twist! Rehearsals will take place on Thursday evenings with the panto being performed on the evening of Friday 1st December and the afternoon of Saturday 2nd December.
3rd July 2023
Job vacancies - Cafe No.7 Summer Assistants!
We are looking for a number of people to join our team on a part-time basis over the summer to help support the running of Café No.7! We’re looking for people who are passionate about evangelism and mission, who can work in a professional manner, and who will provide a warm welcome for all. Barista skills would be an advantage, but full training will be given.
Please click here for the job description and click here for the application form. These are paid roles, but if you’re looking to volunteer with us there are plenty of opportunities over here!
Please email your application to info@soulsurvivorwatford.co.uk
25th April 2023
Brunch Sunday - Coronation Special!
On Sunday 7th May we’ll be having a special Brunch Sunday where we’d like to invite you to bring homemade cakes and biscuits to share between the two morning services. Please bring items on disposable plates and cut into portions. We’ll provide coffee and napkins! Please write all the ingredients you have used on a postcard and leave it with your items so those will allergies can share in the fun. There will be tables laid out in the café area for your cakes in the morning. We’re looking forward to celebrating together so do hang around after the 9.15 or come early for the 11.30!
20th April 2023
Job vacancy - Café No.7 Support Role
We are looking for someone to join our team for three months to support the running of Café No.7 and various hospitality events!
Click here for the job description and click here for the application form.
Please email your application to info@soulsurvivorwatford.co.uk by noon on Friday 28th April; interviews will be on Sunday 30th April.
21st December 2022
We are devastated to say that Michael Bird has died after having a stroke on Sunday.
Michael was a much loved member of our family. He had been in the youth group of the church and was an ever-present member of our car parking team. If you attended the carol services last Sunday morning it is likely that Michael guided you to your car parking spot. He was kind, servant-hearted and gentle; he will be deeply missed by many.
It is hard to comprehend losing Michael, especially so unexpectedly and suddenly at the age of just 20. We, of course, want to surround Daniel (Badger) and Deborah – Michael’s mum and dad - and his siblings, Tim and Emma, with as much love as we can as they grieve. We have set up a fund to help them with the financial pressures they are facing, including the costs of a funeral. If you would like to give, and you are able, you can do that here. Please do be praying for them too. We know that God is close to the broken-hearted and we’re longing for the Bird family to know the comfort only he can give in this desperate situation.
Summer 2022
Over the summer we will be pausing our 4.30pm service because so many people are away. We will also be having a think and pray about whether we can feasibly continue having four services each Sunday due to the impact on staff and volunteers. We’ll keep you posted about plans for the autumn. Our 9.15am, 11.30am and 6.30pm services will continue as normal.
Café No.7 will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the school holidays offering drinks, snacks, lunch, and plenty of craft and fun activities for children! Take a look here for all the details. We’ll also have two Summer Bar Nights on Thursday 28th July and Thursday 18th August from 7.30-10.30pm.
We are offering Family Food Boxes to any family who needs one which you can sign up to collect (for yourself or for a local family you know) ready to collect on Tuesday 16th August.
We hope you have a great summer!
March 2022
We are heartbroken about the continuing crisis in Ukraine and the devastating impact it is having. On Sunday 13th March we are taking up a special offering that will go to Tearfund’s work helping refugees from Ukraine. You can give in the baskets at any service, through ChurchSuite, or by clicking here.
We will be praying together on Tuesday 15th March, with Warehouse 5 open from 7am-7pm if you would like to pop in and take some time to pray there. We will have some prayer prompts available. If you can’t make it to the warehouse, do join in wherever you are, if you can. Tearfund have some helpful resources here.
4th January
We’ll have all four in-person services again from this Sunday - 9.15am, 11.30am, 4pm and 6.30pm - and will livestream our 11.30am service on YouTube. We hope to worship with you then!
22nd December
On Sunday 2nd January we will have a livestream service at 10.30am with no in-person services. We will review the situation in January and take a decision then about Sunday 9th onwards. We hope you’ll join us on YouTube to worship Jesus.
16th December 2021
We have taken the difficult decision to cancel our in-person Christmas services and Cafe No.7 due to the rise in Covid cases and a number of team and volunteers catching the virus. We will still be worshipping together online and you can find out more here. We weren’t due to have any services on Sunday 26th December and we’ll keep a close watch on how things are developing after that and be in touch. We know this is a really tough time. It’s very hard to find ourselves back here again but we want to do what we can to keep each other safe. Let’s keep looking to Jesus; he is our hope in the darkest times. Please know that we’re praying for you and please do get in touch if you’re struggling and need any support – we’re here for you and we love you.
19th August 2021
You are invited to a celebration of the life of Ruth Yule on Saturday 11th September from 3pm - 6pm. We will be having a service in Warehouse 5 with a time of worship, celebration, and an opportunity to share stories about Ruth. Then we will gather in Warehouse 7 to have tea, scones, and plenty of cake. If you would like to join us, please click here to let us know so we can get an idea of numbers. There is no dress code so please be relaxed about what you wear. We will livestream the service on our YouTube channel and it will remain accessible for those who would like to watch at a different time. We hope you are able to join us as we honour Ruth and celebrate all that she meant to us.
19th July 2021
Whilst legal restrictions have lifted today the pandemic isn’t over. We’re aware that some in our family are desperate to ditch the masks and get close to people again, and others are more wary and/or vulnerable and incredibly nervous about these changes. We want to love and respect each other during this transition time where we work out as a society how to live with Covid and how we best take care of those at highest risk. We will have different seating arrangements at church so people can find the place they feel most comfortable. At the front people will be able to sit without masks and will be closer together. At the back, seats will be distanced and you will be asked to wear a mask to protect anyone who feels vulnerable. When it comes to ministry, those who would like to can come forward for prayer, and people who are happy to do so will lay on hands. For those who would like prayer to remain socially distanced, they can stand where they are in the room and someone will pray from a safe distance. We would ask that everyone who is praying for someone wears a mask. Please take care when you leave the building not to congregate around the exits - we need to keep these clear for those who are at higher risk to be able to leave without going past a group of people.
In all of this we want to continue to love, honour and prefer one another.
Easter 2021
If you’re part of our church you can book now for our Easter Sunday services! The 11.30am is full but we have space at the 4.30pm and the 7pm. You can book through ChurchSuite or click the links in the email we sent on Friday 19th March/the Weekly Update email. We will also be having a livestream on Good Friday at 7.30pm which is open to all. It will be a short, reflective service, focusing on what Jesus did on the cross. Head to our YouTube channel to join us.
March 2021
With cases falling and vaccines increasing, we’re planning on re-starting our in-person services on Sunday 4th April which is Easter Sunday! We can’t wait to be back together again although we will have to keep to the same guidelines as last year including booking in advance, wearing masks, social distancing, and not singing. We’ll make bookings open nearer the time for our 11.30am and 4.30pm services which will take place in Warehouse 5, and we will continue with our livestream at 9.15am over on our YouTube channel.
KIDS WORK: Government guidelines don’t allow us to restart children’s work before Sunday 18th April and we’re also in the process of seeing what will be feasible for us to offer given that Warehouse 7 is undergoing building work. We’ll let you know as soon as we can but please expect children’s work to be limited until we have our brand new building ready.
YOUTH: We’re hoping to start meeting in person again on Tuesday 13th April for Older Youth and Sunday 18th April for Younger Youth.
We hope to see lots of you in April but absolutely understand not everyone will be ready or able to join us. Just to reiterate, we will continue to livestream even once all services are back - the mostly likely thing being that we livestream the 11.30am service. We’ll keep you posted!
January 2021
Though the Government guidelines say places of worship can stay open in this current lockdown, we have taken the decision to pause our in-person services for the time being. Cases are rising rapidly in Watford and the surrounding areas and our first priority is to keep everyone safe. We will continue to meet online on Sunday mornings and through Connect Groups and are looking at ways we can continue to connect with one another while we can’t meet together in person. If you need anything, please do get in touch - we’re here for you.
Thursday 17th December
We’ve taken the difficult decision not to have our in-person 11pm Christmas Eve service due to the rise in Covid cases in Watford. We will still be having our online Communion service at 8pm and we’d love for you to join us live or when you’re able to catch up. We will still be having our in-person carol services this weekend but here’s an update from Mike about where we’re at. If you had booked for our services and go no-longer make it, please do click the link in your confirmation email to let us know the change of plans. Thanks so much.
Monday 7th December
A short funeral for Ruth Yule will be held on Thursday 10th December at 11.30am. Anyone who wants to will be able to join in via a livestream here. The family have asked that we don’t send flowers but that anyone who would like to makes a donation in her memory to either the Peace Hospice or to SoulFood at SSW. When Covid restrictions are fully lifted we will be having a huge party to celebrate Ruth’s amazing life and we’ll share the details as soon as we’re able.
Tuesday 24th November
After the Government’s announcement yesterday, we can resume our in-person services from Sunday 6th December! We’re excited to see you again! As before, in-person services will need to be booked in advance - we’ll post the booking link ASAP. We will have 11.30am and 4.30pm services in Warehouse 5, and will continue with the livestream at 9.15am.
The latest restrictions should mean we’re OK to go ahead with our Christmas plans (see below) but we’ll let you know any changes ASAP.
Sunday 1st November
Due to the latest government restrictions we will have to suspend our in-person services after today. We will still be able to livestream and this will take place at 10.30am each Sunday morning. We know it’s a real challenge for us all to have to make this huge step back into lockdown. If you’re struggling and there’s anything we can do to help, please do get in touch. The team are here if you need a chat or to pray with someone, and anyone in our church family can apply to the Hardship Fund for themselves or anyone else in the church or community if finances are tricky.
Thursday 8th October - Christmas service update
We’re excited to be planning our Christmas services! We know things may need to change if government restrictions are tightened but for now we’re planning:
Carol services on Sunday 20th December
We’ll have one over livestream at 9.15am and then two in-person – one at 11.30am and one at 4.30pm. Bookings for the in-person services will open nearer the time.
Christmas Eve
4pm - A Christingle service via livestream led by Be Barlow for all the little ones. We will make packs available with all you need to make your Christingle at home.
8pm - A livestream Communion service
11pm - Midnight Communion service in Warehouse 7. Bookings will open nearer the time.
Christmas Day
We will have a special half-hour programme available on YouTube on Christmas Day that will be suitable for all the family.
In addition to these services, we’re looking at how we run a virtual ‘Homemade Christmas’ evening in the run up to Christmas and will give you more details in November.
On Sunday 27th December we won’t have any services at the warehouse, just the 9.15am livestream.
Should anything change, we’ll let you know as soon as possible. We’re already looking forward to celebrating Jesus’ birth together!
Monday 28th September
Bookings are now live for our 11.30am service this coming Sunday as well as our 4.30pm service! (Links on homepage.) This means our livestream will start at the earlier time of 9.15am but it will stay on our YouTube channel so you can watch when suits you.
Friday 18th September
We are restarting our 11.30am Sunday service on Sunday 4th October! We’ll livestream at 9.15am and the service will stay on YouTube so you can watch it when it suits you. If you’d like to join us in the warehouse, you’ll need to book your space - we’ll post the link soon. As with the 4.30pm service, everyone will be asked to adhere to the health and safety measures in place. We’re excited to see you!
Friday 11th September
Our services remain unaffected by the Government announcement that people can no longer meet in groups of more than six. Further announcements are expected when the rules come into place on Monday 14th September.
Monday 17th August
We’re planning to re-start our 4.30pm service on Sunday 6th September and a morning service (time TBC) towards the end of September/early October! Both will be in Warehouse 5 to allow for maximum capacity, which will probably be about 150 in order for us to be socially distanced from one another. There will be a short time of worship though unfortunately current guidelines prohibit anyone but the band from singing. We will of course be adhering to all Government guidelines and will provide more detail on precautions we’ll all need to take including getting you to book in advance and everyone wearing face masks. The services will be around one hour long and in the morning we hope to be able to have some provision for children’s work. We will continue to livestream as we have been doing for the foreseeable and once we return to normal services we will livestream one of those for those who any who can’t join us at the warehouse. More details on services will be coming soon so we are inline with all the latest guidance to keep everyone safe. We honestly can’t wait to be able to see each other face-to-face - even if those faces are half covered with masks!
Tuesday 31st March
The below email from Mike & Andy was sent to everyone on our ChurchSuite database. If you didn’t receive it and think you should have done, please check your junk email and that we have the correct details for you on ChurchSuite.
Hey everyone,
We are sure that, just like us, you are grappling with how quickly and painfully things have changed in the space of a fortnight. For many of us it is an anxious time. We are already very aware of how many in the church family are struggling either because of the virus itself or the far reaching implications of the lockdown. Please be assured of our love and prayers for you and please don't hesitate to be in touch if you are finding things tough.
God has placed us in a family and that doesn't stop when we can no longer physically meet. For all the stories of difficulties we are hearing we are also constantly hearing wonderful stories of people in the church supporting one another and being a blessing to their neighbours. We are continuing to explore any and every way that we can support you and face these challenges together.
Like most churches we are having to look at our structures to make sure they are serving us well during this crisis and we felt it was important to give you an update with regards to church income and expenditure given the current situation. Here's a short video from Mike.
Giving in the baskets on a Sunday is a key part of our regular income. Whilst we're not able to meet together we're expecting our giving may drop by as much as 20%. Where people are able they can of course give online (more details below) but we wanted to be proactive and prudent, and have been looking at all the ways we can reduce costs in the short term.
Cost savings
We have been going through our budgets with a fine toothcomb to see where we can make savings everywhere from turning off the gas and electricity at the warehouses to pausing contracts cleaning and sanitary services. Our largest ongoing cost is salaries for our staff so, after consultation with the team and with their agreement, we have taken the difficult decision to furlough eight people whose front-facing roles are not essential during this season. This means that through the government scheme they will receive 80% of their usual salary and we will pay the remaining 20% so that they are not out of pocket. It's a sad loss to our team but this will be a short term measure and we hope to be able to reinstate them soon.
Giving
We absolutely understand that many within our family are facing significant financial difficulties at the moment so please be assured that we in no way want to add to the pressure that you're under. We are part of an incredible church family, not least of all when it comes to generosity. We know it can be extremely stressful so we are praying for you, especially that you would know God's peace and provision. That said, if you are able to give and would like to please click here where you can make a one-off gift or set up a Standing Order. You can also click on My Giving in the ChurchSuite app. It's very easy to use and you can alter it at any time should your circumstances change. If you need any help or have any questions about giving please do contact Dan Stickland our finance manager: dstickland@soulsurvivorwatford.co.uk.
The church has been operating in a healthy financial position for many years and we will continue to keep a close eye on all our finances to ensure we are making the wisest decisions we can.
For all that the future is full of unknowns we have a God who has made himself known to us. We can be completely certain of some things: his guiding hand, his unfailing love and the fact that he works all things together for the good of those who love him. Even now we're looking forward to that first Sunday where we can gather together and lift the roof as we worship him! In the meantime, let's keep doing so at 10.30am on the livestream!
We're doing everything we can to offer help to those who need it and everything we do at Soul Survivor Watford is made possible by your giving, thank you.
With love,
Mike and Andy
PS. CIO Update
When we last gathered together at church we mentioned we are transitioning from the K&J Morgan Trust to a new CIO. We have taken the decision to pause this process during the Covid crisis but will resume again when we can and will keep you updated.
PPS. Mike looks a little poorly in the video; he is under the weather but it isn't the virus.
PPPS. Mike is also talking about cooking us all Greek food when we're back. Watch this space…
Tuesday 17th March
You can watch a short video from Mike & Andy here below is the email we have sent to all the family.
Dear Church Family,
As you will be aware new government guidelines have been issued for all of our protection. In light of the statement from the Prime Minister we have taken the difficult decision to postpone all church activities both inside and outside of the buildings. This includes Sunday services, small groups, the leadership community, children and youth activities and our social action projects. We hope this won’t last very long but at the moment we can’t tell! This is obviously so that we can play our part in preventing the unnecessary spread of the virus and protecting those who are most vulnerable in our church and community.
Whilst we are unable to meet physically we are going to be doing everything we can to gather and support each other creatively in other ways. We will be in touch directly with small group and ministry team leaders about ways they might do this.
Furthermore, we will continue to worship on Sundays via livestream! We’ll begin the service at 10.30am and it will be available on the Soul Survivor Watford YouTube channel from then on. You can watch it any time. If you would like to subscribe to the channel and click the notification bell next to the subscribe button you will receive a notification when the link is available.
In addition, to help us all to pray and stay close to Jesus during an unprecedented time of upheaval, we will be beginning a daily devotional.
The church staff team will be largely working from home but the phones will be manned at the office. We are determined to continue to pastor and care for you as well as we can and to this end we’re going to be putting certain things in place. We will have an emergency number that you can contact out of office hours if you need to. If you are struggling in any way or know someone who is vulnerable whether they are part of our church or not, please let us know.
In addition, we are currently planning how we can be a positive, peaceful and practical presence in our community. We’ll be in touch over the next week with things that we are looking to action together as a church that we might be a blessing to those around us.
If you are feeling low, vulnerable or isolated please do not be embarrassed about getting in touch. Phone us on 01923 204200 (leave a message if it’s out of hours or we’re not able to pick up) or email info@soulsurvivorwatford.co.uk and one of the pastors will be in touch with you – this is what we are here for so please don’t hesitate if you need anything.
Finally, we are also going to be exploring ways that we can pray together as a church for our world. Again, we’ll be in touch in the coming days about this.
We love you and we are praying for you. Let’s keep looking to Jesus and looking out for one another and those around us.
With our love
Mike and Andy (on behalf of the staff team)
P.S. Caleb Croft is home from hospital and is recovering well. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Monday 16th March
Yesterday at church we announced our decision to suspend all midweek gatherings in the warehouses. The last event will be the Connect Cafe this morning. We don’t want to overreact but we would rather err on the side of caution in order to protect the most vulnerable members of our family. Connect Groups will still go ahead whilst leaders and members are happy and able to do so.
We are still planning on meeting this coming Sunday (22nd March) at the warehouse for all four services. We will again live stream the 11.30am service for those who are staying at home. Subscribe to the Soul Survivor Watford YouTube channel to receive notification when it’s available. We will keep updating you as things progress. If you are part of the SSW family and haven’t received emails from us in the last few days, please check we have your correct details on ChurchSuite. (Log in and select ‘My Details’ on the Menu.) If you haven’t yet signed up for ChurchSuite and would like to, please click here. This is the quickest way for us to get hold of you and keep you up-to-date in this quickly changing situation.
Friday 13th March
We are closely monitoring the Coronavirus situation and as at 13/3 we are still going ahead with all four of our Sunday services. Should anything change in the future we will update this page, email all who are on our ChurchSuite database* and post on all our social media accounts, you can follow them with the links at the bottom of the page.
If you have a high temperature, or a new, persistent cough, please do stay at home as per NHS advice. This is both for your sake and for the rest of our family.
We will be live-streaming this Sunday’s 11.30am gathering so you will still be able to be a part of the service. We know this isn’t the same as actually being there but we hope it will also benefit anyone who wants to stay away due to underlying health reasons or who has any other illness. (We will share a link on our social media and on our website on Sunday morning if you would like to access this.)
You may have noticed we put in several precautions last Sunday which will be continued and added to. These include:
Please wash your hands on arrival using hot water and soap. We have some hand-sanitiser on the doors but if you have your own, please do use that as we have a limited communal supply.
We have removed self-service for tea, coffee and food and these will be served to you by a member of the team.
On top of our usual cleaning practices we will clean door handles between services
During ministry, it is advised that you put a hand close to the person you are praying for, rather than laying a hand on them.
We won’t be taking Communion at the moment.
We are also working on contingencies for such a time as the Government advice says we shouldn’t meet and will of course keep in touch as things develop.
We know this is a worrying and confusing time for many; let’s continue to look out for and support one another. If you know of anyone who needs to self-isolate, please do check in with them to see if there’s anything practical they need. (Guidelines say it is OK to drop goods on people’s doorsteps as long as you don’t interact with them in person.)
In relation to events outside of Sunday services, we will look at these on a case by case basis over the coming weeks. Keep an eye on social media and our website for more details.
With love from the whole team
*Please make sure we have your latest email address by logging into ChurchSuite and clicking ‘My Details’ in the Menu. If you’re not signed up to ChurchSuite and are part of our church family please follow this link.