3-2-1 : Making Space for More

This is our Sunday teaching from Senior Pastor, Lesley Thompson. Recorded live at our Sunday Service in Harris Academy Purley, Croydon on Sunday 30th March, 2026

In Gospel of Matthew chapter 9, Jesus pauses. Having travelled through Galilee teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing the sick, He lifts His eyes and sees the crowds. He is moved with deep compassion—gutted, stirred in His very core—because the people are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Then He says to His disciples: the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray for workers.

It’s a pivot point. A pause. Then: go again.

Over the past 13 years, we’ve seen Jesus do exactly what He promised. What began as one family of six sensing a call to Croydon has become a thriving church community. In the last year alone, we’ve multiplied from one to two morning services. Baptisms have increased. Connect Groups and youth attendance have grown. Our English school has doubled in reach. Our carol service expanded from 398 people in 2024 to over 1,000 in 2025.

We’re hearing story after story of lives transformed. A woman from a Muslim background recently gave her life to Jesus in a Connect Group—her “amen” met with spontaneous cheers as the group sensed the holy weight of the moment. Young people are stepping out in faith, like Faith from a local school Christian Union, who prayed at 3am for provision for free pizza at an outreach event—only to see God miraculously supply the funds through unexpected generosity.

God is moving.

And yet, when we look at Croydon and South London, we see what Jesus saw: anxiety, confusion, pain, and a crisis of trust in leadership. With over 400,000 people in the borough and around 400 in our services, we’re reaching just 0.1%. Our kids’ groups are full. Our car park is overflowing. Some who want to come can’t find space—or can’t easily reach us.

So we believe we are in a 3-2-1 pause.

Not to settle—but to pray, reflect, and prepare to go again.

We are inviting the whole church to take a month to seek God about becoming three congregations across two sites as one church—making space for more people to find life in Jesus. Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more, answer questions, and explore what it means to trust God as our provider.

The harvest is still plentiful.

Will we pause, pray—and then go?