St. Stephen’s Church with St. Eanswythe’s, Tonbridge
Parish Profile
Our Church
St Stephen’s is a family friendly church located in the heart of South Tonbridge in Kent. We’re a
place where people of all ages can learn what it means to follow Jesus. Together we seek to
worship God, deepen our relationship with Him, support one another and show God’s love in our
community.
Across St. Stephen’s and St. Eanswythe’s we have a committed congregation of 400+ who
worship at five regular services during the week (Sunday and Wednesday). Our services are
predominately informal however the BCP and CW are used at some services.
Working alongside our incumbent Mark, are two non-stipendiary associate vicars and a Children
& Families Pastor. In addition, there is also a large staff team supporting the work of the church.
As a church we are committed to outreach into our community. We have our own OFSTED
registered Pre-School, a toddler group, a bumps & babes group, Who Let the Dads Out? as well as
a church café. We run after school youth drop in sessions, a Saturday evening youth club as well
as a myriad of other youth and children’s groups, which meet across the week.
We have a large number of small cell groups (or Connect Groups as they are known at St.
Stephen’s), which meet throughout the week in the daytime and evenings ensuring there is
always a group available for everyone.
St. Stephen’s works closely with the other churches in Tonbridge under the banner of Tonbridge
Area Churches Together (TACT). Our incumbent, Mark Barker chairs this group of local church
leaders.
St. Eanswythe's was an independent Mission Chapel overseen by a Missioner
until the end of 2013, at which point the trustees asked St. Stephen's if we would
take on responsibility for the weekly service and pastoral care of the small
congregation. Since the start of 2014 we have been doing this and the mission is
now part of St. Stephen's Parish. A brand new mission chapel was built 9 years
ago.
As a church, we have developed a vision for where we believe God is calling us to be by 2020.
This big picture is based on:
 Christlikeness – hosting the present of God;
 Open & Hosted Church – helping others encounter God through ministry in the church
and out in the community;
 Growth – through multiple services, growing the church to 1000+ and
 Resources – providing space, finances and people to enable and equip the vision
St. Stephen’s Church with St. Eanswythe’s, Tonbridge
Parish Profile
What are we like?
IDENTITY - Who are we?
St. Stephen’s is the Church of England parish church in and for South Tonbridge. We are affiliated
to the New Wine Network and strive to be:
 Biblical: we believe that the Bible is inspired by God and is therefore the basis of all our
teaching.
 Spirit led: we believe that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit and look expectantly for his
work in our lives.
 Christ-centred: we believe that we are to live Christ-centred, God honouring, prayerful lives
individually and as a church.
PURPOSE / MISSION – Why do we exist?
St. Stephen’s seeks to be a church who are ‘Powered by the presence of God and shaped for the
purposes of God’
These purposes are:
 To glorify God and minister in the power of the Holy Spirit – worship
 To serve others with the compassion, grace and generosity of Jesus – ministry
 To proclaim the good news of Jesus through words, work, and witness - evangelism
 To build a Christ-centred community that welcomes and accepts all – fellowship
 To grow in faith, love and knowledge of God and in the character of Jesus – discipleship
VALUES/PRINCIPLES – What guides how we do things?
We prayerfully look to put these core purposes into practice using the following values:
 Generous - to reflect God’s grace, encouraging each other to use all that God has given us for
the benefit of all
 Genuine - to live lives of integrity, open and real with one another
 Fun - to have fun together
 Passionate - to live whole-hearted lives for God, doing the very best we can so that we bring
honour to God
 Relevant - to help people connect faith with everyday life, believing in a God who speaks and
acts today.
 Open - to be a church that is outward focused and accessible to all
 Caring – to show compassion and grace to all
 Empowering - to help and equip people to discover and use their God given gifts, and to
teach and raise up servant leadership in every aspect of church life
St. Stephen’s Church with St. Eanswythe’s, Tonbridge
Parish Profile
The Parish
Tonbridge
The town of Tonbridge is in the county of Kent mid way between London and the South Coast of
England. London is 30 miles to the north whilst on the coast to the south, Hastings is 30 miles.
The town has a mainline railway station giving fast and regular services to the coast and into
London. With the M25, M2 and M20 motorways not far away, Tonbridge has become a popular
and growing commuter town.
Tonbridge has a 12th century castle, extensive parks, swimming
pool and leisure centre. A usual mix of supermarkets and shops can
be found on and around the High Street, although for larger stores
and chains it is necessary to travel to Tunbridge Wells or
Bluewater.
Tonbridge is well served by schools. There is one major public school, two girls grammar schools,
one boys grammar, three comprehensive secondary, several prep/private and a large number of
primary. Within our parish are five of the secondary schools and two of the primary schools.
There are currently plans for the addition of a new primary school in 2016 and also a special
needs school will also be moving into the parish. In addition, West Kent College, with links to the
University of Kent is within the parish boundary and there is an Adult education centre in the
town.
The Parish
The Parish of St. Stephen’s with St. Eanswythe’s is situated in the south end of Tonbridge with a
rising population of approximately 13,000 people (2011 census), although it is estimated that
about 10,000 people are added to this number each school day. The age split of the parish
population is 0-4 years (7%), 5-15 (14%), 16-64 (67%), 65+ (12%). The average age is 35.6. The
parish is mainly residential, although there are areas of light industry. St. Eanswythe’s mission is
situated some half mile from the main church and became part of the parish during 2015. The
parish is also shared with three other churches; a URC, a free evangelical and a strict Zion Baptist.
The Church Buildings
St. Stephen’s was built in 1852 after the coming of the railway to Tonbridge. In the past 10 years
considerable refurbishment of the main building has been undertaken including the removal of
all pews and the implementation of new flooring, heating, seating, lighting, electrics, Audio Visual
and kitchen facilities. St. Eanswythe’s mission was completely rebuilt just 10 years ago replacing
an old tin hut style mission hall. It is a modern building, which can seat 40-50 people comfortably.
Associate Vicar Housing
A 4-bedroom family home situated to the rear of the St. Eanswythe’s mission hall has recently
undergone a complete refurbishment and will be available for the Associate Vicar and his / her family.
St. Stephen’s Church with St. Eanswythe’s, Tonbridge
Parish Profile
Contact Information
Incumbent:
Address:
Telephone:
Email:
Website:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Rev Mark Barker
St. Stephen’s Church Office – 37 Waterloo Road, Tonbridge, Kent. TN9 2SW
01732 771977
mark.barker@ststephenstonbridge.org
www.ststephenstonbridge.org
www.Facebook.com/StStephensChurchTonbridge
@StephensChurch