Love Southend is an informal group made up of church leaders; church members committed to praying regularly for Southend; and Christians who have positions of influence in the Borough. Based on relationships of trust and openness, our aim is to serve that part of God’s agenda for Southend for which we believe the Body of Christ needs to come together in unity.

Throughout Southend churches work together effectively for the Kingdom.

Love Southend ’s strap-line – 'Showing God’s love throughout the Borough of Southend' - is expressed in Borough-wide prayer and worship, evangelism, mercy ministry, and Christian influence into areas of the social and working life of Southend.

These areas of ministry are supported and overseen by church leaders, intercessors, and key influencers as appropriate who share the vision and values of Love Southend

They draw on the resources and gifting of Christians across the Borough who participate in such ministry with the agreement of their own local church leadership. Such areas of ministry currently include Southend Prayer Wall, Street Pastors, Route One, and regular meetings with senior Police Officers.

In order to build relationally, work together effectively and seek God’s will diligently, church leaders, intercessors and key influencers meet regularly to worship and pray together and to envision, encourage, initiate or administrate Borough-wide ministry.

The vision, values and work of Love Southend is served by the Love Southend Servant Team, a group of Southend church leaders whose Co-ordinator is Mark Churchward. The charitable trust SEELEF, accountable to the South-East Essex Leaders’ Forum, acts as the registered charity under which Love Southend operates.

Vision and Values

Love Southend - showing God's love throughout the Borough of Southend

founded in relationship; shaped in worship and prayer; expressed in evangelism, mercy ministry and Kingdom influence we, church leaders (gatekeepers), intercessors (watchmen) and key influencers, through relationships of love, trust and vulnerability, commit ourselves to:

The Vision

• A 'one church, many congregations' expression of the life and ministry of the one Bride and Body of Christ in Southend, the one 'new man' the grace of God is forging from every people-group in Southend taking up our spiritual responsibility for Southend by seeking together God’s agenda to bring his salvation, righteousness and mercy to every part of the community.

The values we share

• above all, we value an ongoing, growing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ

• we value the Bible as the Word of God, our final authority of faith and practice

• we value giving God all the glory with no self-promotion or self-seeking

• we value powerful works of God’s grace in our communities

• we value remaining totally submissive to the Holy Spirit at all times and in all decision making, respecting at all times the uniqueness and validity of what God is doing in every part of the Body of Christ

• we value Christ-like leadership characterised by humility, brokenness, a servant’s spirit and evidenced by transparency, openness and vulnerability

• we value the unity (not the uniformity) and health of the whole Body of Christ

• we value the ministry of local church leaders and congregations

• we value all members of the Body of Christ regardless of their race, culture, gender, generation, or gifting

• we value the importance of repentance and reconciliation being evident among church leaders and the entire Body of Christ

• we value relationships which transcend organisational structure

• we value a long-term, sustainable movement more than isolated events

• we value corporate, town-wide worship and prayer as well as congregational and private prayer and worship

• we value the identification, establishment and development of a local leadership team to carry the responsibilities of stewarding (a) the vision and (b) town-wide prayer in Southend

• we value personal and corporate renewal/revival, evangelism/mission, and the transformation of our community

Desirable outcomes

• deepening trust between leaders

• increase in health and growth of congregations

• more accountability for disgruntled or wounded sheep who move from church to church

• increasing love and co-operation between congregations

• ability to respond with one voice to local issues and crises

• shared ownership of a vision to impact Southend with the gospel of the Kingdom

and all this built upon 4 non-negotiable building blocks:

• Historical Christian orthodoxy

• Jesus’ commandments to love God supremely and others as ourselves

• Jesus’ commission to make disciples by teaching, baptising and establishing men, women and children in his truth

• Jesus’ compassion extended freely to those who suffer want or lack