Welcome to the web site for Kingston URC, a loving, worshipping, God-centred community in Kingston-upon-Thames. To navigate this site see the menu on the left or at the top, or click on the home page to see the most recent events, news and discussion by our online community. Feel free to send us your feedback or comments.

Church Covenant

We, the members of this Church, acknowledge God to be our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ His Son to be our Lord and Saviour.

We commit ourselves above all to God and to one another, to live in the unity of the Holy Spirit and in the order of love of a Christian Church.

We affirm our desire to follow the example and teachng of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the guidance of His Spirit; and to witness to His love, and serve His world, by the consecration of our talents, time and means.

We acknowledge our Church to be part of the United Reformed Church; to be in a Local Ecumenical Covenant with All Saints Parish Church, and Union Street Baptist Church, and, by God’s grace, we seek fellowship with all other Christian Churches, praying and working for unity throughout the world.

Mission Statement

We will delay our mission no longer. We will stand up and show those around us the good news of God’s love in Jesus. We will let go of patterns that no longer work and grasp new methods that make sense to people. We will demonstrate by our deeds as much as our words how much God longs for the healing and wholeness of God’s world. We will build one another up in love, so that those who encounter our common life will see in our sharing a true glimpse of God’s kingdom on earth.

Kingston United Reformed Church
Eden Street, Kingston, Surrey KT1 1HZ (Map)

Minister: Lesley Charlton
Contact: 020 8546 0643
Mayo Centre: 020 8549 1888

We hold a variety of Sunday Services to suit all tastes.

• 10.00am: A traditional service in the traditional Reformed style.

• 11.30am: A modern informal service with interactive worship, discussion, music, prayer and scripture.

• 11.00 to 11.30: Coffee time and chatting!

• 6.30pm: Evening service. A quiet, reflective service, with readings, prayer and hymns.

• 8.00pm, first Sunday of the month: A contemporary service in the Mayo Hall.

• Every Second Sunday of the month, we hold just one, combined, morning service at 11.00.   The service combines features of the traditional and the interactive services. A variety of music types, readings, prayer; children are very welcome.
Refreshments are served in the Foyer or the Hall from 10.00.

• Communion – is served the 1st Sunday of the month in the 10.00 service, on the last Sunday in the month at the 11.30 service and the 3rd Sunday of the month at the 18.30 service.

• A lunchtime service is held at 13.10 until 13.30 each Wednesday for local business people and shoppers to feel free to come to worship.

• Other services are held by arrangement with the Minister.

• A hearing aid loop system exists in the sanctuary and Mayo Hall to assist those who have impaired hearing.

• A lift is available  to gain access to the upper floors. There is parking space available nearby (though not on church premises) for cars displaying a blue badge.

• This site can be automatically translated into Korean - just log in or register on the site and set your personal preferences to Korean under your account.


The History of our Church

Kingston upon Thames United Reformed Church traces its origins back to 1662 when the Vicar of Kingston, Richard Mayo, was ejected from the Parish Church under the Act of Uniformity. Mayo continued to preach in private homes as a Dissenter, and a Presbyterian congregation gathered around him. By 1690 they were worshipping in a small brick meeting house at the corner of Union Street and Eden Street.

In the 1780s the Church was remodelled on a Congregational basis. The members set up the first Sunday School in Kingston in 1798. The current sanctuary in Eden Street (a listed building) was built in 1856. New halls were opened during the First World War and Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades were formed.

The United Reformed Church came into being in 1972 when the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches in England and Wales merged. In 1981 a union was formed with the Church es of Christ and in 2000 with the Congregational Church in Scotland. Surbiton Congregational Church and Grove Crescent URC integrated with the Eden Street church in the latter part of the 20th century.

Redevelopment of Kingston town centre in the mid-1970s permitted complete rebuilding of the entire church premises: only the walls of the Victorian sanctuary were retained. The Church’s extensive modern premises have been improved yet further with the addition of a lift and a training suite to allow wider use by the community.

Kingston URC is today a member of a Local Ecumenical Project in Kingston Town Centre, together with its partners All Saints Parish Church and Union Street Baptist Church.

Music in Worship

Music in Worship We use a variety of styles of music in our worship.

The acoustic qualities of our sanctuary are particularly good for music, and they enhance our singing making it enjoyable to listen to and to join in. We have a good, three manual pipe organ which is used both to accompany singing and as a solo instrument playing music before, during and after services and occasionally for recitals.

At some services an electronic keyboard is used to accompany hymns and songs. Although we have no regular choir, the church membership includes many people who are happy to get together to form a choir for particular services, and we also have a number of people who are able to play instruments to contribute to our worship.

Recorded music is used from time to time both for listening and to accompany singing. Musical concerts are given by our own members and visiting groups from time to time.

Local Ecumenical Project

Our church is a member of the Local Ecumenical Project (LEP) in Kingston Town Centre, with its partners All Saints Parish Church in the market place and Kingston Baptist Church in Union Street.

We join together for acts of worship, study groups and social activities. This is co-ordinated by the ministers and the LEP Committee.

Foyer Service

Six days a week the church foyer is open to the public from 09.00 until 14.00 when a steward is on duty.

Lonely? Want to talk to someone in confidence, preferably a stranger you feel you can trust, about a matter that is troubling you? If so, we may be able to help. We have a listening service, staffed by trained volunteers. They are not social workers, evangelists or counsellors. Their job is simply to listen. They might give advice if asked, but they are there to listen because we believe that a sympathetic, non judgemental response to your problem may well be valuable. They are available from 11.00 until 14.00 and will probably be wearing a badge, please feel free to approach them.

Hot drinks and soup are served at moderate prices six days a week from 11.00 to 14.00. The foyer is a popular place for people to meet their friends and chat as well as taking the opportunity to rest in a quiet place with access to the sanctuary for prayer and meditation.

Accessibility

We hope that our church is accessible to everyone. For those with mobility difficulties we have a ramp to gain access to the building, wheelchairs can move through the building and suitable toilet facilities are available. A lift is available  to gain access to the upper floors. There is parking space available nearby (though not on church premises) for cars displaying a blue badge.

A hearing aid loop system exists in the sanctuary and Mayo Hall to assist those who have impaired hearing. Hearing-aid users should switch to the “T” setting on their hearing aid.

Large print hymn books and magazines help those with impaired sight. The service paper is written in 11 or 12 font and can be enlarged or written in Braille on request. Church News is available in large print and sometimes produced on tape. Stewards are on hand to offer help should people have difficulty in finding their way or a seat.