A Community Grocery – Coming Soon at Welcome Church!
A place where hungry families find food, dignity, and hope: That’s the vision behind Welcome Church’s upcoming Community Grocery, and we believe it’s going to change lives.
The Spark of an Idea
I first heard about the Message Trust’s Community Grocery model at a Jubilee+ Conference. As their CEO, Sam Ward, spoke about its impact, I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest.
He told the story of their first grocery, launched in the middle of lockdown in September 2020. Within just 15 months, it had 2,000 members, and over 160 of them had come to faith in Jesus!
This was a “hand up, not hand out” model, perfectly aligned with our vision of restoring dignity and empowering people to move their lives forward. I felt certain that God was calling Welcome Church to open one—somewhere people could feed their families and encounter Jesus.
And with the cost-of-living crisis escalating, and our local council going bankrupt, the need in Woking has never been greater.
Finding the Right Place
Our whole Eldership Team caught the vision, and we began praying and searching for a location. We needed somewhere close to church—ideally with space for our Welcome Works courses and community groups.
At one point, we were offered a small shop in the town centre. It was just ¼ mile from church… but no space for classrooms. Barely enough room for a kettle!
Then Robin Willison, one of our Elders, said, “What about Church Gate?” For a moment, we couldn’t even place it. Then we remembered the boarded-up office block right next door to our church—an empty shell we had walked past for years.
It was big. 10,000 square feet over three floors. And if we lifted the dividing fence, the building would actually become part of our church site. We just needed to convince the owner to sell—and find £3 million to buy it.
God Spoke, and the Church Responded
We reached an agreement to purchase the building, and as we prepared for our second Gift Days in July 2024, something amazing happened.
Our lead pastor, Steve Petch, “accidentally” came across a prophetic word given to our church by Guy Miller back in October 2017. We’d forgotten all about it—until now. When we read it again, it stopped us in our tracks.
“I saw a house, a big old house…
The kitchen table had been covered over…
I saw builders coming… people pouring in…
Around the kitchen table, there weren’t five people—there were 100.
I think food is going to be a big thing for the church—whether that’s the Word of God or actual food.
I see a conservatory being built on the east side. That’s where the sun is going to shine. That’s where people will come and know the love of God.
This house will be full. The poor, the needy, the nations will come.
This isn’t your effort. This is grace.”
Church Gate sits on our east side. And yes—it will be a place where people are fed, physically and spiritually.
Our forecast, based on the Message Trust’s 27 active Community Groceries and our local need, tells us 1,000 families will use our grocery in the first year. We’re being called to serve many people, and love them toward Jesus.
As the church responded to that call, we saw around £2 million given towards purchasing and renovating the building. God stirred hearts, and His people gave generously.
What’s Next?
Renovating the building will cost around £1.2 million, and we’re currently applying for grants to cover at least half of that. We aim to start building work this summer and open the Community Grocery before the end of the year.
Please pray with us:
• For successful grant applications in the next two months
• For building work to begin this summer and go smoothly
• For us to open the doors of the grocery before Christmas
• For Jesus to transform many lives as we feed many people in our conservatory on the east side
